Middle Eastern Mania

Borders and division of the land; strong emotions relating to the conflict on both sides; Palestinian concerns over Israeli settlements in the West Bank; status of Jerusalem; Israeli security concerns over terrorism, safe borders, incitements, violence; right of return of Palestinian refugees living in the Palestinian diaspora. These minor quibbles are all that stand between the Middle East and peace. Small wonder that it has not been achieved already. Or is it?

In my last post, I made passing reference to the 'deep end'. If anything, that was an understatement, for the following affair is not so much the 'deep end', as the end with no visible bottom.

At the outset, I should say that I am hardly qualified to blog on this issue, still less to speak on behalf of any of the stakeholders. The purpose of this, however, is twofold: first, and crucially, I wish to use this forum as an opportunity to assess and re-assess the quagmire that is the Middle East. Ultimately, I hope to formulate my own opinions, though these will need be as flexible as events. Secondly, I wish to treat this as a political petri-dish. Over the coming months and years, my experiment aims to chart and understand events, eventually allowing me to review the history in a more direct way, without relying on the spin or selective histories which currently flood the market.

Middle Eastern politics has long been a thorny issue. Today as ever, different groups - some living in the region, some not - approach it with different prejudices, interests, and goals. These groups, while attempting to solve the competing claims which have dogged the peace process, have also succeeded in entrenching two increasingly-exclusive narratives. All this leaves an impoverished consensus, arguably the cornerstone of meaningful dialogue, and, by extension, makes peace more elusive.

Every so often, windows of opportunity have arisen, from the Rogers Peace Plan to the latest round of direct talks, through Oslo, Madrid, Beirut, and various other initiatives. In fact, the road to peace has been littered with attempts, most of them sincere, all of them with potential, but none of them, as yet, with the desired outcome.

So far, so bad. But the latest episode, where the Palestinians turn to the UN to advance their statehood, may be another chance to break the deadlock. Many commentators have concerned themselves with the modalities of this vote and whether it will pass through the various organs of the United Nations. Rather than that, though, I will focus on the consequences.