News from the Middle East remains grim. The Gaza tragedy continues unabated. The war between the Hezbollah militia in Lebanon and Israel is expanding. And a broader military confrontation between Israel and Iran is unfolding, offering yet another torch to the Middle Eastern powder keg.
Yet, as strange as this may seem, all the region's governments and the United States, which continues to have significant influence, privately agree on one point: A new Middle East will emerge at the end of the current fighting.
Sadly, however, each protagonist has a different vision of this new Middle East. And all the region's actors are guilty of wishful thinking, either because they overhype their advantages or ignore their opponents' strategic options.
The wars being waged right now are seen as transformative for the region. Before the current fighting, Israel and Hamas confronted each other in no less than four other conflicts: in 2008, 2012, 2014 and 2021. But none was as destructive as the present one. The total number of Palestinians - civilians and Hamas fighters - killed in the previous four wars was around 4,000. The number of Palestinians killed now is at least 10 times higher and continues to rise.
Indeed, the current Gaza war is already responsible for creating two new and grotesque statistical "records". The war started with the biggest single mass killing of Jews since the Holocaust. It ended by inflicting the biggest tragedy on the Palestinians since the so-called Nakba ("Catastrophe") of mass expulsion of Arabs when the Jewish state was created in 1948.
Whatever Hamas claims, the radical Palestinian organisation no longer functions as a fighting force. Add to this another horrible statistic - up to two-thirds of Gaza's housing stock have been pulverised - and it is evident that when the guns finally fall silent in this conflict, there can be no return to the arrangements of the past.
Denne historien er fra October 15, 2024-utgaven av The Straits Times.
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Denne historien er fra October 15, 2024-utgaven av The Straits Times.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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BLACK DAY FOR BRITISH PUBS
At her London pub, landlady Kate Davidson has taken to issuing Guinness ration cards, but the beer still ran out amid a British shortage of Ireland's national drink.
Her Last Gifts
It was exhausting, he sighed. But Carol insisted; her name being what it was and his, she said with a big grin, being Chris. Remember, this is the blessed spirit of the season, to give as we have been given.
When You Think About Me
She empties the last drawer and, between stray baubles, there's the cookie tin, the one hunted down from some narrow shop in Liverpool because it didn't ship here.
Gift Of The Magi
Let's say you never intended to use Magi. Let's say you know about all the scandals: the accusations of stolen data, the EU lawsuits, the CEO's abhorrent behaviour. Let's say you don't even believe the outlandish social media claims that the app is magical, like actual magic. You know it's not possible it reads your mind, plumbs your soul, knows your heart's desires. You're not so gullible.
Ho Ren Yung: Steering global brand evolution of Banyan Group
Ms Ho Ren Yung, deputy chief executive of Banyan Group, oversaw the company's brand relaunch in a bumper year of 19 openings in 2024. These included Banyan Tree Higashiyama Kyoto in Japan and Angsana Tengchong in China.
Jury-rigged Hotpot
The Japan Home folding table was just big enough to accommodate two.
Tales of love, peace and hope
The Sunday Times invites five authors to pen short stories around the theme of A Christmas Gift
Japan: Taking centre stage in Singapore and beyond
Scroll through your social media feed this holiday season, and practically everyone you know is in Japan or making plans to vacation there.
UOB: Most influential patron in Singapore art scene
UOB's \"day job\" is handling loans, deposits and a wealth of diverse portfolios. But the bank cemented its role as the most influential patron in the Singapore art scene in 2024, investing good chunks of cash in both arts and arts education.
Fong Chi Chung: Putien restaurants make dining out more affordable
In a year where diners made themselves scarce - preferring to spend their strong Singapore dollars overseas, and leading restaurant owners and chefs to despair over empty dining rooms - this power lister made a power move that others in the industry are watching closely.
