Try Diplomacy, Not War

摘要

You may think this the least propitious moment to speak of finding a solution to the longstanding, bloody and highly contagious Arab-Israeli conflict. After all, in addition to huge human and material losses, the legacy of this summers war in Lebanon seems to be even more resentment and hatred among all the foes, as well as the entrenchment of the most fanatical and violent forces in the region. Yet on closer inspection the trauma in Lebanon has opened a small window of opportunity to once again attempt to find a solution to this painful and intractable dispute. Ironically, the opportunity stems from the defeat that all camps suffered this summer: In the end nobody won anything. Claims of success are pure deceit. And because the war has dramatically enlarged the sense of vulnerability on every front, it is time to make a serious bid for peace.