Israel Arab Standoff

We reach a point of 'Crisis' when there are no answers at all to pressing problems and the current stand-off between Israel and Arab World is definitely reaching a 'point of Crisis'. The problem isn't as simple as aid being prevented to reach beleaguered Gaza Strip residents by Israel by seizing of Turkish aid ships.

There are many actors involved in the current drama like Iran,Turkey,Egypt,Saudi Arabia besides the obvious suspects like Israel,US and Palestine group 'Hamas'. All have their 'different agendas' to play for. While Israel and Turkey want to portray a 'hardline stance' to cater to their domestic constituency, Iran wants to divert international pressure on it on 'nuclear proliferation' by unifying the Arab world on the question of Palestine. Hamas wants the relations to worsen between Israel and rest of the world while America has been fast losing the role of a 'dominant player' under far more subdued President Obama.

The real sufferer has been the 'cause of peace' as the 'danger of escalation' rises.The 'voices of reason' are bound to take a backseat as more voices for 'action against Israel' grow. Almost everybody has to take the blame for reaching the 'state of impasse' as nothing is coming out of these 'periodic theatrics' until and unless sidelined fora like UN take over the role of 'neutral mediator'.

US has to understand that it has lost the 'moral authority' to play the role of an 'effective mediator' and has even lost the trust of Israel, leave alone the Palestine people. The 'ultimate and final solution' has to come from negotiations between Israel and Palestine people under the aegis of UN. Hamas has to be discouraged by the Arab world as violence can only worsen the conflict while Israel has to show more restraint.

The solution will be difficult but not impossible to find. The whole world should take lessons from the dangers of mixing religion with politics. Ultimately, two separate,distinct countries have to exist sometime in the future with shared borders. If Israel and Jordan,Turkey,Egypt can live in same neighborhood, there is no reason to believe that a Jewish Israel and Muslim Palestine cannot peacefully co-exist.

There has been 'enough bloodshed' of innocents in the past and any future bloodshed must be prevented at all costs. The 'vested interests' who fuel 'fires of passion' must be kept at bay. I believe world owes 'this' to these two 'historic civilizations'.