Paul Rogers seems to be writing a daily column for Open Democracy at the moment, focussing on the Israel / Palestin / Lebanon conflicts. In his most recent piece he describes the underground barrier being proposed (and in some places being tried out), to prevent Palestinians tunnelling underneath the dividing wall. He concludes:
"Such plans, coupled with the extensive IDF raids into Lebanon that have widespread support within Israel, all point to a national mindset of protection that is currently unable to even comprehend that the entire process is ultimately self-defeating. Israel cannot achieve physical security without political security, and that cannot be achieved except by negotiating with its adversaries and recognising the predicament of the Palestinians. In the final analysis there is no alternative to a peace settlement encompassing the creation of a viable Palestinian state."
To get beneath the headlines and gain an insight in the range of perceptions involved, the Bitter Lemons website provides a useful resource for reading a range of Israeli and Palestinian opinions and observations. They produce an emailed compilation of these pieces on a weekly basis.
A Guardian editorial today sets the Lebanese experiences alongside those suffered by Iraq on an almost daily basis, stating: " Any crude calculus of suffering risks cheapening the memory of the victims, but it is probable that many more Iraqis than Lebanese have been killed on average every day since Israel lashed out after Hizbullah's border attack."
The common factor in all this is the stoking up of the cycle of hatred from each act of violence.
"The Middle East is a tough neighbourhood. Iraq's sectarian war and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict have their own roots and dynamics. Both need resolving, urgently. Bleeding constantly, they sustain bitter hatreds and, as the Lebanese are learning to their cost, risk dragging others into an abyss."
