© Getty ImagesIsraeli soldiers stand behind razor wire near the Palestinian village of Bil'in in the West Bank
The two rivals' jabs at each other are rapidly increasing in both number and intensity.
The situation in the Middle East, where the aspirations of Iran and Israel have once again collided, is paradoxical in that
there is no way out. Both sides would like to put a stop to the other's gallop, but this is impossible without disastrous consequences for themselves. There are many reasons for this situation, including the
geographical compactness of the region, where any action echoes loudly and boomerangs erratically. More importantly, all the problems and relationships are so intertwined that to untangle them would require a colossal effort that no one is capable of.
Theoretically, the cord could be cut with a powerful game-changing blow, but nobody has the wherewithal.This last statement may seem a bit controversial.
Israel is pursuing an extremely aggressive policy of reshaping its entire security landscape, hoping to contain the surrounding threats for a long time to come.
Iran, on the other hand, is generally seen as an actively revisionist power, managing the regional landscape sometimes directly, but especially through the use of partner groups (a sort of 'Axis of Resistance') in various countries. The assumption that a decisive battle is likely should be supported by the fact that the entire region is already in turmoil and external powers, including the traditionally dominant US, are merely feigning active involvement rather than knowing exactly what they want. Thus, it's surely high time for the plucky and the determined to make the leap to a new status.
But what new status?
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