The complete idiot’s guide to Middle East peace (part6)

West Bank terror groups vow revenge for deaths of 3 Palestinians | The Times of Israel

After fatal Jenin face-off, there could be much worse to come | The Times of Israel

This really can’t be good for either side. It simply perpetuates an already perilous situation and does nothing to correct the downward trajectory to which such events in the region’s already turbulent history have long been inextricably linked.

Again it’s that old familiar case of cause and effect, move and counter-move with no end to it in sight.

It makes no sense unless the whole thing is a ruse to provide employment for the military or a way to give unemployed Palestinian youth something to do. If so, then it has amounted to a costly exercise in futility, blood and treasure. And, as seems inevitable, there will be no let-up in more of the same, not unless radical measures are taken to head off what might be even worse to come.

But how does anyone go about doing just that?

Generally speaking, only two options present themselves here.

Make a very fast and comprehensive evaluation about what happened and come down extremely hard on whoever might be deemed responsible and blameworthy for such an incident.
Make everyone, that would include all Palestinians and all Israelis, an offer they simply can’t refuse.

Option number 1 might go some way towards defusing the situation but, let’s face it, the probability of that happening is somewhere between wishful thinking and zero.

Option number 2 has some possibilities but it will take a very big offer to persuade either party to forego an instinctive need to lock horns again and take the matter further; possibly much further.

The only offer that might tempt both sides to adopt a less combative attitude would be one where this change of style can harm the other side far more than any type of direct action could ever achieve. And could also deliver massive amounts of kudos and territorial gains to whosoever can be the most minimalist in their approach to active conflict.

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