US not a bystander of Israeli-Palestinian conflict

The ceasefire agreement between Israel and Palestine took effect last Wednesday, bringing an end to more than one week of cross-border conflicts that claimed hundreds of lives. However, the ceasefire does not mean reconciliation or settlement of problems.

People feel relieved about the ceasefire but still worried about that the two sides may return to armed conflict at any time. The prospect remains not optimistic as tensions may escalate between the two sides that are filled with hatred towards each other.

The Israeli election, Hamas' rash moves and some other factors triggered the recent conflicts, but the fundamental cause is that the peace talk has been at a standstill for long. The two sides have different stances on such issues as boundary, security, return of Palestinian refugees, distribution of water resources and status of Jerusalem.

In such a context, Israel and Palestine are bound to focus on security issues in reality, which only depends on fragile balance. Due to lack of long-term political goals, the two sides can be easily provoked into armed conflicts. They will be in a standoff shortly after achieving certain immediate political goals.

Turmoil in West Asia and North Africa has greatly changed the political ecology of the Middle East. The Palestinian-Israeli issue appears not to be the focus of attention in the region, but it actually remains an extremely sensitive issue that can affect the overall situation of the Middle East.

It is unrealistic to expect the two sides to resume peace talks on their own, so the external driving factors are very important. Given the cause of Palestinian-Israeli issue and special relations between Israel and the United States, the influence of United States in this regard cannot be underestimated.

As a major external force that can exert considerable influence on Israel and Palestine, the United States has remained inactive for quite a long time. It has cracked down terrorism with the help of its Middle East allies since the September 11 attack. The Palestinian-Israeli issue has been gradually marginalized in U.S. Middle East policy. As the country gradually shifts its strategic focus back to the Asia-Pacific region, some experts advise to reduce input in the Middle East.

However, the recent conflict shows that without external intervention, the Palestinian-Israeli conflict will continue to erupt periodically. In order to be a good mediator, the United States must have necessary input and handle the issue in a steady and impartial manner. The recent wave of anti-American protects sweeping across the Middle East shows a sharp decline of the U.S. credibility.

The Palestinian-Israeli issue is mainly handled among the United States, Israel and Palestine. Israel and Palestine are the main characters in the conflict while the United States takes the lead in solving the issue. Relations among the three countries have been out of balance for a long time, which is an important reason for the worsening situation.

The United States is not a bystander of Israeli-Palestinian conflicts. It must rethink its policy and play a constructive role in solving the issue.