The complete idiot’s guide to Mideast peace – part 220

Obama: No sympathy for Hamas, but Gaza blockade cannot go on | The Times of Israel   ‘Israel okays ceasefire extension, Hamas does not; Netanyahu says it would be ‘moral mistake’ not to hit terror strongholds in mosques, schools; UN blasts ‘outrageous’ Israeli strikes on its sites’

Israel may well have won this latest battle but now it stands in some danger of losing the war. Certainly, as a public relations exercise, recent events have not gone exactly to plan and, unless some really heavy-duty effort can be made here, this vital aspect of the contest may be lost forever. And such a loss would be a cause of much dismay to Israel’s friends and allies. This would not be a good result. Indeed, it might be considered something of an insult to the memory of all those having just made the supreme sacrifice in furtherance of Israel’s continued existence and its future prospects.

But it’s fair to say that Israel’s image on the international scene has become seriously tarnished of late. That’s what comes of always being held to a higher standard than those in the more common ruck of humanity’s ranks. So, is retrieval and reinstatement here still possible and, if so, how might this be done?

The secret in such a situation is to provide an solid exit path for all combatants in this conflict and, furthermore, to promote this feature as an option that the rest of the world might readily appreciate and use.

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

SOME THINGS JUST HAVE TO BE TAKEN TO THEIR VERY LAST LIMIT BEFORE ANY REAL MOVEMENT CAN EVER BE EXPECTED TO HAPPEN