Gaza ceasefire and Sharm el-Sheikh summit expose cracks in Fukuyama’s ‘end of history’
A recent ceasefire agreement for Gaza and a summit in Sharm el-Sheikh have sparked debate, challenging Francis Fukuyama's 1989 'end of history' thesis that predicted global unity under Western liberal democracy.
The summit, hosted by U.S. President Donald Trump and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, was not a gathering of democratic champions. Participants included representatives from Gulf states, Hungary, Turkey, Italy, and the Palestinian Authority, none of whom are known for their commitment to democratic values.
The ceasefire agreement, brokered by Trump, was not aimed at securing a democratic future for Gaza or Israel. Instead, it was a display of Trump's power, who remains an ally of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, sharing his disdain for the rule of law and press freedom. Tamar Ziff, editorial director of Haaretz, resides in Israel, where press freedom is under threat.
Qatar, a summit participant, hosts Hamas' political office and has provided financial support to the organization. Israel's recent violations of the ceasefire reveal the fragility of Trump's autocratic approach to peace.
Initially, the fall of the Berlin Wall, collapse of the USSR, and democratic uprisings in former Soviet republics seemed to confirm Fukuyama's thesis. However, the current political landscape challenges this notion, suggesting that global peace and unity under a single political system may not be inevitable.
The recent ceasefire agreement and summit in Sharm el-Sheikh cast doubt on Francis Fukuyama's 'end of history' thesis. With autocracies on the rise and democratic values under threat, the path towards global unity under Western liberal democracy appears uncertain.
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