The Middle East has long been the battleground for conflicts over key natural resources, turning its past into a narrative of imperialist invasions and ideological clashes fuelled by religious differences, powerful militias and national interests. The resolution of entrenched hostilities is largely dependent upon agreements to share the region’s land, oil and water more equitably as a first step towards establishing lasting peace.
The rise of Hamas in Gaza can be traced to an overarching Israeli government strategy to paint moderate Palestinian leaders as 'terrorist elements', and an unhealthy alliance between Israel intelligence agencies and government, says Ira Chernus.
The Middle East peace process may be the most spectacular deception in modern diplomatic history - masking the desire of the Israeli government to continue settlement on Palestinian territory, destroy Hamas by force, and place Palestinian statehood in 'formaldehyde', argues Henry Siegman.
The real path to peace in the Middle East, requiring the establishment of
a fully sovereign Palestinian state on the West Bank and Gaza, is dependent on Israel's recognition of its responsibility to ensure economic justice in the Palestinian territories, says Adam W. Parsons.
The people of Gaza are victims of geopolitics at its inhumane
worst: producing what Israel itself calls a 'total war' against an
essentially defenseless society that lacks any defensive military
capability whatsoever and is completely vulnerable to Israeli attacks, writes Richard Falk.
What Israel fears is not terrorism but Palestinian
independence. Israel will not permit a sovereign Palestinian government
to emerge on land it intends to hold - and probably expand - as its own, argues Alan Nasser.
As Israel's illegal airstrikes continue to inflict carnage on innocent Palestinians, a range of critical voices are urging concerned citizens to join the global movement of outrage and solidarity
with Gaza, to build a global campaign of non-violent pressure to force
Israel to comply with international law, and "to no longer be silent".
The Israel blockade of Gaza has resulted in impoverishment, hunger and unemployment rates of nearly 50 percent. Such policies are based on two fundamental goals: to ensure that Palestinians are seen as a humanitarian rather than a political problem, and to foist Gaza onto Egypt,
argues Sara Roy.
