Well, here we go again! Israeli troops are inside Gaza and Hamas continues to fire its weapons of terror — its somewhat useless rockets — toward most of that country’s major cities. Palestinian militants fired rockets deep into Israel, prompting Israel to resume an offensive aimed at destroying rocket launchers and cross-border attack tunnels used by Hamas. Meanwhile, hundreds of Palestinians are caught in the Israeli onslaught in Gaza resulting in many fatalities and injuries, including women and children. All referred to a collateral damage!
Unfortunately, such outbreaks will not resolve the basic issues surrounding both parties’ positions and political agenda. Gaza remains prison-like whereby Israeli cross-border security controls everything from food, medical supplies, worker movements, etc. Fear of militant attacks on civilian targets remains the prominent theme in Israel. The prime weapon that Hamas has is its ability to target such populations. This represents the pure definition of a no win situation for both adversaries. Unless something drastic changes politically, this intermittent conflict will continue on for years to come. Quiet one year, loud the next.
Meanwhile, the rest of the world sits helplessly by. There is little that the U.S., Canada, the Arab League, United Nations or other interested bodies can do to resolve the conflict. Imposing outside temporary solutions like ceasefires may buy time, but will do nothing to deal with the underlying causes. Only the adversaries have that ability in their own hands. It doesn’t help that outside supporters of the two sides are parading around and fighting in the streets of North American and European cities. While the PR and politics plays out by each side, people are still being killed and injured in the region.
Peace is a nice and bold word which politicians like to use in such circumstances. Former Canadian Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson had exclaimed: “The grim fact is that we prepare for war like precocious giants, and for peace like retarded pygmies.” Remember, he had won the Nobel Peace Prize for helping to establish the use of UN Peacekeepers in regional conflicts. I suspect that he’s rolling over in his grave right about now.
FROLITICKS 
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