The complete idiot’s guide to Mideast peace – part 238

Day 41 of Operation Protective Edge

PREAMBLE: A five-day truce held through its third full day on Saturday, but prospects for a longer term arrangement appeared to dim.

Day 41: Abbas urges defiant Hamas to accept ceasefire terms | The Times of Israel

This latest truce, with only one or two minor hiccups, appears to be holding its own so far. But the approach of midnight on Monday may herald an abrupt change in that aspect of the situation. What might happen thereafter would then seem to be very much in the lap of the gods.

Of course, it’s never really in the lap of the gods, not these days. Even if it were, gods have their limits and finding a long-term solution to this 66 year-old conflict would have tested and surpassed these well before now

But what of the limitations that we ourselves possess? Have these been exceeded also? Is the matter then so far beyond our abilities to control that no further advancement can ever be expected, not even dreamed? Are we now doing nothing more than simply going through the motions, toiling away at something that simply refuses to be contained by our increasingly futile efforts to lock it down ?

Then the answer may be to put our old ideas completely into reverse.

Instead of constantly repeating attempts to resolve issues that have always defeated our best endeavours, why not relax and consider letting the problem itself make some provision for its own solution?

‘But why keep a dog and bark yourself?’  One reason might be that the dog is too small, his bark not loud enough and his bite, in consequence, leaves much to be desired. Your next move? Get yourself a bigger dog!

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