While there are early reports of hundreds of casualties in the latest round of fighting between Israelis and Palestinians, the nature of the present flare-up is indicative of an evolution of politics west of the Jordan and northeast of Egypt. Instead of Israel being in the midst of conflict within both the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, only the former is the present focus of conflict. The continuing violence is of legitimate concern, and the reactions from around the world to the latest fighting were predictable. Nonetheless, the reaction from the Bush administration was the most accurate; Hamas, again, has chosen violence over progress.

However, this conflict is different from many others of recent memory, and is sure to complicate prospects for a lasting peace moving forward. The latest round of violence will mean uncertainty for plans by the Obama administration to achieve an enduring peace. The President-elect is correct to communicate with Secretary of State Rice regarding regional developments and long-term U.S. interests therein. Nonetheless, a larger challenge awaits the new administration, and potentially future administrations of either party. The outgoing Bush administration achieved real progress towards a lasting peace in a region plagued by a generations-long conflict.

While the call for elections in the Palestinian territories brought Hamas to power in Gaza, the comparatively moderate Fatah party governs separately under Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank. This difference in leadership among either Palestinian area has meant that violence with Israel is more localized, and that Palestinian extremists are more isolated than before when the Clinton administration and foreign governments negotiated with, and thereby helped to legitimize the terrorist Yasser Arafat.

Moving forward, the new U.S. administration and its successors should be willing to build on the progress made by predecessors. The President-elect sincerely wishes to bring change to the present situation in the world. In order to do so effectively, however, Obama will need to recognize the successes of the outgoing administration, and learn from its failures.   Support for Israel should continue, in conjunction with the courting of moderate Arab voices inside and beyond the Palestinian territories.

Last 5 posts by James Kane

• A November to Remember - November 8th, 2010
• On hope and fear - October 18th, 2010
• Expecting Different Results - September 12th, 2010
• A glaring omission on Iraq - August 31st, 2010
• Employing a losing strategy - August 7th, 2010