Why Israel Agreed to a Truce and Why It's Not Over

Israel agreed to terms with Hamas, brokered by Egypt, for a cease-fire, ending the latest round of fighting between the two entities.  PM Netanyahu declared victory, as did Hamas, but the fighting is far from over and Israel knows it.

What's behind the hasty agreement and what's looming in the near future?

Apocalypse Watch: Three Steps to Doom

Welcome to the Apocalypse Watch.

 Periodically I will choose several headlines from the news that have one thing in common: apocalypse. If all stories take a turn for the worst, you can damn well bet we're doomed.

That's my opinion, of course.

In this report: War in Ukraine, Coming Storm in Gaza, and Economic Ruin.

For Israel and Gaza, Peace is Always Impossible

Another cease-fire broken between Gaza and Israel; are you surprised? This is the story, the way it happens, how it works, and (most importantly) it's all part of the plan. When someone in your group throws away a chance to get some humanitarian aid into Gaza, someone has to think about the consequences.

Are you spotting the pattern? I've got a few more things to say about this catastrophe.

Gaza going BOOM

The latest story from Reuters (read it here), paints the picture of a defiant Israel determined to punish Hamas, even if it means leveling Gaza in the process.  Several incidents, such as the destruction of schools and even explosions killing kids, are rapidly empowering sympathetic feelings for the Palestinians.

What's the end game in Gaza?  Will world opinion force Israel to back off the attacks?

The Next Crusade: Israel

Here's the NY Times article I read recently.

Check out this graphic that puts the Gaza casualties into proper perspective.

Summary: There's some serious business going on in the Middle East (ME) right about now--to be fair, it always has been going on, but it's particularly "hot" at the moment.  Though it's far from the deadliest, I think the Israeli operations in Gaza and unrest in the West Bank are nuclear in terms of international relations.  It's a complicated topic, isn't it?  Read on for more discussion.