The complete idiot’s guide to Mideast peace – part 156

Rockets fired at Tel Aviv, Haifa; sirens ring out near northern border | The Times of Israel ‘Barrage targets Tel Aviv and Haifa, several missiles intercepted; teen critically hurt in Ashkelon; Gazans flee north after IDF warning; Netanyahu says we don’t know when war will end; IDF commando raid ends with 3 Hamas dead, 4 IDF wounded’

It seems that both sides are going at this business ‘hammer and tongs’ at the moment, to coin a somewhat archaic English expression. And, in the process, a great deal of death and destruction has been caused, much treasure expended as is now so very typical of modern warfare and the net result of all this is… what exactly?

Are matters even one step closer to being resolved? Has anything been changed for the better by virtue of these latest attacks? Or is this just another ratcheting up of tension and aggression between two enemy camps who can see no other way of settling old scores nor dealing with issues long regarded as insurmountable by most outside observers?

Then why not bring the whole thing all the way down to the wire? Even if each horse has to be pushed through the starting gate at the beginning, this move might constitute a kindness for all concerned. To have final closure after decades of conflict and so many dashed hopes for peace would be a form of consolation, even something of a rationale for so many who have paid the heaviest of prices in this and past generations.

www.laxiankey.com – ‘ for those of us with better things to do.’

Well, can you really see how else all this might be managed? As for present methods, these most certainly do leave much to be desired.