For the past two months global headlines have been dominated by an all too familiar conflict that seems to repeat itself every few years. Israel and Palestine have again failed to find a way to peacefully coexist. The religious and political tension that exists between these two groups of people has become so overwhelming that many believe the fighting will never come to a permanent end. I have been often asked by my students if this conflict will ever have a final resolution. My honest answer is always the same, “Not in my lifetime, or only if one group manages to achieve the catastrophic result of the total destruction of the other.” I can only hope that my analysis is wrong but past experience has given me no reason to think otherwise.
Over the course of the fighting there have been several brief cease fires that have mostly ended prematurely. Yet, in the past 24 hours they have agreed to an Egyptian brokered cease fire with no set time limit, this is the most promising agreement since the fighting started in early July.
The primary weapon in this round of fighting has been rocket fire or air strikes which can inflict a high level of damage from a far off distance. The New York Times Magazine sent two photographers to show the world the realities of the physical and emotional devastation this latest round of fighting has created. Below is a link to their haunting portrayal of life in the war torn zone.