The News From Israel

The news is never really good from there and things seem to lurch from crisis to crisis. I know from living there that things always seem a little worse from the outside looking in but I also wonder about why things aren't better.

Israel is a marvel. An economic and military powerhouse, a place where people can get a good education and live productive lives, and one where innovation can be found in every sphere. My experience may be outdated but in a county like Israel the impossible always seemed possible.

This is true except for the never ending conflict with its neighbors. I just don't understand how after 60 years the people that seem to be able to engineer just about everything else can't engineer an end to this conflict. I don't have an answer but maybe the truly smart people just stay away from the diplomatic sphere. There certainly doesn't seem to be anyone that has anything to suggest other than a military solution. You can't kill everyone, or put them in jail, or deport them so is this to be the situation forever? The Arabs would tell you that just integrating the territories into Israel and coming up with a fair power sharing arrangement would resolve the problem. All one needs to do is look at Lebanon to see why that wouldn't work particularly with the clans and factions that seem to rule Palestinian society.

So where does this leave us, with an impending military operation in Gaza? That won't stop the missiles. Do they just keep taking it? I wouldn't suggest that to anyone who has to live there and expect a civil response. Again, I have no answers just more head scratching.