There are three rules of engagement presently in use in the Middle East – particularly with respect to the emergence of a country which is presently called the “Palestinian Authority”.  One is to sit down and talk, sometimes called negotiations. The second is to go out and have a major fight that will end all future little fires that might spring up from “militants”, “sore losers” and “zealots” who will never give up. The third and last is to build a wall around one to keep the other out.

I like the negotiation solution.  The rules of engagement require that both parties sit down together like normal people and work out an agreement and then stick to it.  The present situation in the “Palestinian” world is that Hamas won’t sit down for it will now take over what the “Authority” ruled and promises to act on wiping Israel off the map.  This is sort of like the “Mouse that Roared” kind of thing because in the present circumstances, the history of Hamas is that its supply of money, arms and support by the rest of the world will be surely cut off because it will just take over Palestine and be unable to live up to it being different from Fatah.

This will be a shame.  Hamas was different from Fatah in that it had a social program where Fatah was mired in corruption and inability to lead.  Like ward heelers of old, Hamas worked with the people, did things for them and won hands down in the recent election which was a repudiation of Fatah.  This, of course, enraged Fatah and its adherents are in the process of or poised for civil war.  This is like a cage full of rats squeezed together who turn on themselves because there is no way out. Civil war will be the outcome.  Negotiations, of which an election is a very real part, should be used within and without the non-nation of Palestine.

Fighting between the Jews and Arab nations surrounding it established the independence and strength of Israel.  It is basically a democratic country trying out various scenarios to end the stalemate and arrive at a two nation solution.  Israel is a nation at war with an army and weapons to bring the area into a smoking shambles.  But it has not.  It retaliates at every attack against it and is respected for this and in the council of nations is regarded as a real nation.  Not so with the Palestinians.

The last option or rule of engagement is non-engagement.  But building walls and hiding behind them or to keep out the terrorists, militants or violent angry neighbors will work only for a while.  One day those walls must come down.