![](/img/icon/fonts.png)
Could sending an Israeli and an Arab to the moon spark peace on Earth?
With NASA having selected two Japanese astronauts to fly on Artemis missions to the moon, speculation abounds about which other country will get a ticket to walk on the lunar surface. Recent world events and the technological acumens of countries in the region suggest the next non-American moonwalkers should be from the Middle East.
I proposed an Artemis mission to the moon including an astronaut from Israel and one from the United Arab Emirates some years ago in the wake of the Abraham Accords establishing peace between the Jewish state and several Muslim countries.
Both Israel and the UAE have potent technological sectors, especially aerospace.
Both countries have flown probes in space. Israel attempted a moon landing with the failed Beresheet mission. It is now attempting a follow-up mission, the Beresheet 2. The UAE included the Rashid lunar rover on the failed iSpace Hakuto-R M1 mission and is planning to send Rashid-2 to the moon. A UAE probe dubbed Hope currently orbits Mars.
Israel and the UAE have had astronauts fly on NASA missions. Israeli astronaut Ilan Ramon died aboard the Columbia space shuttle mission in 2003. UAE astronaut Sultan........© The Hill
![](/img/icon/go.png)
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3c/Download_on_the_App_Store_Badge.svg/203px-Download_on_the_App_Store_Badge.svg.png)
![Get it on Google Play](/img/icon/google.play.220.png)