In the name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful.

I present this framework as a female imam, Sufi artist, founder of the Abrahamic Movement in the Netherlands, and head of the Institute for Peace Strategies on behalf of the Global Abrahamic Movement. My work is rooted in a sincere spiritual practice and a commitment to the wellbeing, dignity, and long-term stability of all people in the Middle East and beyond.

This proposal outlines a structured approach aimed at reducing tensions and fostering sustainable peace in the region.

01 Grand Mediation: The China Pivot

The traditional Western-led diplomatic architecture has reached its leverage limits. To break the current deadlock, the geopolitical framework must pivot toward a mediator with absolute independence, global economic power, and direct leverage over adversarial regional actors.

The Broker State

China must assume the role of primary mediator. Unlike Western powers, Beijing holds deep economic relationships with all key parties, including Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Israel, granting it unique diplomatic enforcement capabilities.

Iran currently holds significant strategic leverage, creating a risk of further escalation in which the United States could face substantial strategic costs. Because China relies heavily on Iranian oil imports, Beijing possesses considerable economic leverage over Tehran and is uniquely positioned to influence Iran’s strategic decision-making.

Tehran views nuclear technology primarily as a means of national prestige, strategic deterrence, and sovereign self-protection. At the same time, Iran recognizes that developing a nuclear weapon could trigger a dangerous regional chain reaction — including nuclear proliferation by states such as Saudi Arabia — and potentially provoke an extreme Israeli response. Given these risks, Tehran may favor a diplomatic path if credible security guarantees can be established.

China could use its energy and economic relationship with Iran to press for stringent international oversight of Iran’s nuclear program — leverage previous U.S. and Pakistani efforts have been unable to achieve.

By linking continued economic cooperation to transparency, safeguards, and verifiable compliance, Beijing could exercise a form of pressure that has so far eluded Washington and Islamabad alike.

02 Inclusive Diplomacy & Regional Counterweights

A sustainable peace architecture requires a fundamental shift in negotiation demographics and the formal inclusion of regional anchors.

Demographic Inclusivity in Negotiations

Future peace talks must elevate women to core negotiation roles. Specifically, the diplomatic delegation should include American female diplomats of multi-ethnic heritage to bridge cultural, political, and strategic divides. In diplomacy, diversity is a powerbroker.

The Saudi Diplomatic Anchor

Saudi Arabia must be integrated into direct negotiations with Iran, holding a primary, heavily weighted voice. As the structural “glue” of the Middle East, Riyadh possesses unmatched regional diplomatic authority necessary to balance Iranian hegemony.

Political Reintegration in Israel

For negotiations to progress, Israel requires an internal political transition away from a decade of right-wing governance. Moving toward a centrist or leftist coalition, ideally led by female political leadership, will introduce critical strategic nuance and multi-perspective execution, breaking the current ideological inertia.

03 Economic Deterrence & Interdependence

Military dominance alone cannot guarantee long-term security. Israel must shift its strategic budget allocations from pure defense spending toward deep regional commercial integration.

Asymmetric Security Leverage

By embedding Israeli technology and services into Arab economies, Israel creates a system of mutual financial dependence. Arab nations invested in Israeli commercial infrastructure will naturally act to protect those mutual assets, providing Israel with a sustainable, self-enforcing “free protection” architecture.

Syrian Stabilization

Targeted economic investment into the reconstruction and development of Syria serves a dual purpose: it dismantles the economic desperation that breeds radicalization, and it systematically erodes Iranian attempts to assert total hegemony over the country.

04 The Gaza Stabilization & Reconstruction Plan

Hamas cannot be permanently neutralized via military force; its phased removal can only be achieved through structured economic diplomacy and infrastructure dependency managed by Beijing.

Critical Infrastructure & Water Leverage

The immediate priority for humanitarian and political stability in Gaza is water security.

  • International investments must instantly fund large-scale water desalination infrastructure inside Gaza.
  • Israel must maintain a joint administrative role in the management and control of Gaza’s water supply, establishing a vital, non-military point of leverage over Hamas.

The “Hong Kong of the Middle East”

Utilizing China’s existing infrastructure capabilities, Beijing could spearhead a comprehensive reconstruction master plan.

  • By funding and executing the rapid industrialization of Gaza, China can transform the territory into a major regional manufacturing and trade hub.
  • Integrating Gaza into the global supply chain shifts the local incentive structure away from militancy toward economic preservation.
Framework Snapshot
Proposed Mediator
China
Key Regional Anchor
Saudi Arabia
Gaza Priority
Water desalination infrastructure
Gaza Long-Term Vision
Manufacturing & trade hub
Diplomacy Shift
Expanded role for women negotiators
Israel Strategy Shift
Commercial integration over pure defense spending

— Conclusion

Lasting peace in the Middle East requires more than military deterrence or temporary ceasefires. It requires a comprehensive architecture built on diplomacy, economic interdependence, regional inclusion, humanitarian stability, and credible security guarantees.

China can play a central mediating role by using its economic relationships with Iran, Saudi Arabia, Israel, and the wider region to facilitate negotiations and encourage verifiable commitments. At the same time, regional actors must remain central to the process, with greater inclusion of women and diverse diplomatic voices.

Economic reconstruction must become a foundation of security. Investment in Gaza and Syria, water infrastructure, trade, and regional economic integration can create shared interests that make continued conflict increasingly costly.

Ultimately, the objective is to create a regional order in which peace becomes more strategically and economically valuable than war. Sustainable stability will require political courage, international cooperation, and recognition of the dignity and security of all peoples of the Middle East.

Middle East China Iran Saudi Arabia Israel Gaza Interfaith Diplomacy Abrahamic Movement
Salima El Musalima
About the Author
Salima El Musalima
Imam en kunstenares · Founder, The Abrahamic Movement Netherlands

Imam en kunstenares. In mijn werk zoek ik naar Allah op allerlei manieren. Op dit moment ben ik al vier jaar op zoek naar Allah in de romantische liefde. Mijn werk kun je zien als Sufi-islamitisch of behorende tot de surrealistische stroming.

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