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Seeking a Way to End the War

Where will the war in the Middle East end? With both sides digging in ? Hizbullah on the one hand, and Israel on the other ? is there any way out? While Hizbullah recently announced its willingness to give the Lebanese government the ability to negotiate a prisoner exchange for the release of Israeli soldiers kidnapped from sovereign Israel?s territory, Jerusalem is steadfastly opposed to the sort of prisoner exchange deals in the past that resulted in hundreds of Arab prisoners released by Israel and not live prisoners, but bodies, released by the Hizbullah terror group.

News reports over the weekend indicated that the United States had complied with an Israeli request for more precision-guided bombs, leading to the conclusion that Israel is in for the long haul. However, estimates in Israeli official circles give Jerusalem little more than a week to complete their objectives militarily before America, or some other third party, attempts to impose a settlement on both sides. This is despite statements from White House officials breaking with past precedent by stating that a cease-fire for the sake of having a cease fire, and returning to the pre-war status quo, is not acceptable.

Meanwhile, the destruction of Lebanon continues and as it does, voices across the worldwide political spectrum are growing louder against Israel?s actions. It is unlikely that Israel will bow to world pressure, though, and only the United States can convince its democratic ally to stop dropping the bombs. With Syria threatening to intervene should Israeli troops invade Lebanon, the prospects for a region-wide war haven?t seemed this ?good? for quite a while. What happens will, regardless, shape the future of the modern world.