The Middle East is engulfed in violence. Again.
The horrific attack by the Palestinian militant group Hamas, the murder and kidnapping of innocent civilians, has prompted a full scale response by Israel.
War has come again to Israel and Palestine. Millions will be affected. All too many will die. Innocence, once again, will die.
The world has been witness to the colossal human failure that has been the Israeli/Palestinian standoff for decades.
And the world, including the United States, Europe, and the United Nations, has been unable, or unwilling, to bring about a lasting resolution.
Failure also lies at the door of the Arab world, dominated by dictatorial regimes that have, as often as not, only been friendly towards the Palestinians when it suited them. And then there are non-Arab unhelpful actors. Iran being one of them.
So what now? Well, it looks like more of the same.
The Hamas attack has to be condemned for what it was: an outright act of merciless terrorism.
But it didn't come out of nowhere, or nothing.
And a significant consequence will be death and suffering among the people that Hamas purports to defend.
In the aftermath of the Hamas attack and incursions into Israel, President Biden was quick to say that the U.S. stood behind Israel. U.S. warships were ordered to the sea area immediately off the Israeli coast.
Ireland, meanwhile, pushed for an EU declaration calling for an avoidance of an escalation in violence.
The attempt, according to an Irish Times report, "met strong opposition among other EU countries which felt a clear statement of solidarity with Israel was more important after the Hamas incursions killed more than 800 people, including 260 at a rave party, and captured dozens of hostages."
That report continued: "In negotiations that bounced between capitals on Saturday, Ireland was joined by Denmark and Luxembourg in pushing for a statement to include an appeal to avoid escalation, according to diplomatic sources.
"Their efforts were not successful and no mention of escalation was made in the condemnation of the attack, which was issued on Saturday by the EU’s diplomatic chief, Josep Borrell, on behalf of the EU member states."
That statement said in part: "The EU stands in solidarity with Israel, which has the right to defend itself in line with international law, in the face of such violent and indiscriminate attacks."
The statement condemned “in the strongest possible terms the multiple and indiscriminate attacks across Israel by Hamas” and called on the militant group to cease the “senseless attacks and violence."
Ireland, added the Times report, ultimately backed the statement, even though it left out an appeal to avoid escalation, deeming it important for the EU to issue a joint statement quickly and not get drawn into protracted negotiations.
"Horror at the nature of the attacks on civilians by Hamas after its militants broke through the border with Gaza appears to have led to a hardened EU response."
If truth is indeed the first casualty of war, perhaps it was not surprising that, over the weekend, an incorrect report went viral, claiming that Ireland, Denmark, and Luxembourg had prevented the EU statement from describing Hamas as a terror group.
The report by an Israel-based television station, citing an unnamed diplomatic source, was firmly denied by all three countries.
Ireland's Department if Foreign Affairs issued a statement to counter the false report stating “reports in the media about Ireland’s position on the EU statement agreed on Saturday are simply incorrect. Ireland supports the EU position that Hamas is a terrorist organisation.”
Similar rebuttals were issued by the government's of Denmark and Luxembourg. But all this was just a symptom of the muddle and confusion that has enveloped the situation that is Israel versus the Palestinians for years.
The bottom line for the world's more sane and sensible governments is that both Israel and Palestine should exist as free, independent nations behind secure borders and living in peace with one another.
But when we talk about Israel and the Palestinians who exactly are we talking about? The Palestinians are divided into factions and Israel exists in effect as two states, the secular and the religious, with the latter being the dominant side in recent years.
This situation is well beyond well meaning statements and fleets of ships. It requires a global leap of imagination that is yet invisible behind the rising clouds caused by ever more rockets and bombs.
