The complete idiot’s guide to Mideast peace – part 162

Liberman’s unacceptable war on Netanyahu | The Times of Israel           ‘If the foreign minister thinks the prime minister is doing a lousy job, he should either shut up when outvoted or quit, not publicly undermine the PM at the height of a bitter conflict with Hamas’

Whether the prime minister is doing a lousy job or not is somewhat beside the point. Is Mr. Netanyahu’s position any more tenable than that of Mr. Lieberman’s when it comes to retrieving a situation that most outside observers – and not a few inside – would assess as being well beyond salvaging? The lesser of two evils does not necessarily produce optimum results. As for the greater, success there is always a very rare visitor, even in the best of times.

The best that can be expected is a return to the status quo with no sign of improvement in the fortunes of either side, no breakthrough in policies or attitudes, no course correction for a future wedded solidly to the past.

So, unless a completely different position can be taken concerning the way things are and have been for decades, approved or unapproved Israeli government decisions are most unlikely to cause much real change in anything long-term. The prospects for peace, ceasefires or final resolution of so volatile a situation must remain in darkest shadow, permanent hostages to forces and mindsets of the most primitive kind.

What, therefore, might constitute a ‘completely different position’?

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

Anything less returns us all once again to the familiar status quo. And that has proved to be of very little use in successfully dealing with matters of such a profound and seemingly intractable nature.