Israel
What a mess. This was a disaster waiting to happen. It is borne of the utter and absolute bankruptcy of Israel’s foreign policy, which towards its Palestinian neighbour is vindictive, pitiless and cruel. Moreover its excuse that it is a response to terrorism is as bankrupt as the policy overall.
This is because the pursuit of an approach which denies the Palestinians, over not just months or years but decades, recognition as a sovereign people entitled to a fair deal, is the greatest actual begetter of terrorism in the world. It is guaranteed to create generations of suicidal zealots, as surely as planting seeds will yield a crop.
The Obama Administration knows this and struggles against the tide of the U.S pro-Israel lobby to force the Israelis to see reason. For the moment their politicians continue to march blind from one debacle to the next. There has to be established a counter balance to Israel. The UK broadly follows the US line but is more strident in its criticism. We kicked out a diplomat over the stolen passports and yesterday Hague once again called for the opening up of the Gaza border. More is needed.
Ex President Jimmy Carter, whose Presidency was the most successful in the Middle East, has been a tireless worker in his retirement to find a route to peace. We need to remember as President he was was responsible for brokering the peace between Egypt and Israel, which has endured thirty years. Carter says that negotiations must take place with Hamas and peace is impossible unless they are brought into the frame. Pressure must now be brought on Israel to start looking for ways forward, rather than means of blocking progress.
I would explore the Royal Navy escorting aid convoys to Gaza after establishing that the ships involved are carrying only supplies not weapons. Any interference by Israeli gunboats would result in their sinking. Time to be blunt. America cannot do that because of domestic political pressure. Secretly Obama would be more than pleased if we did the job instead. It would also significantly increase our clout with the various factions of Palestinian politics to recognise what can and cannot be done, if peace is to at last prevail.
It would also do more to make the streets of our cities safer than any number of military initiatives in Afghanistan.