Columns

The latest conflict between Israel and Hamas started on May 10 and ended with a cease-fire eleven days later. Will the cease-fire hold? Maybe. The pundits say “maybe” pointing to the 2014 conflict between the two where it took nine truces before that conflict finally ended after 51 days. Signs are that this cease-fire may hold. Unlike the 2014 truce, citizens celebrated in Gaza streets indicating a general acceptance of the cease-fire.  

Each side claims its goals were accomplished, but at a high cost: 197 Palestinians killed (including 92 women and children), 52,000 displaced, nearly 450 buildings destroyed or badly damaged; and ten Israelis killed (including two children). 

Although the cease-fire may hold for months even years, Hamas and Israel still remain bitter enemies. The latest conflict does put the Israeli-Palestinian situation on the front pages again and may prompt an internal U.S. debate about our policy toward Israel, a debate that is now happening. 

While the U,S. will likely continue its “special relationship" with Israel, perhaps we will move away from Trump’s one-sided relationship favoring Israel toward a more even-handed policy. 

Stay tuned.