The Middle East

The Middle East is posed to escalate into a war that could change the landscape rewriting the boundary lines among the leading players once more. The catalyst to this coming event was not weapons of mass destruction, or terrorists attacking, but the kidnapping of an 19 year old Israeli soldier by the name of Gilad Shalit and the entire future of the Middle East may resting on this young man’s shoulders.

Israeli forces have already launched a ground offensive into southern Gaza, but are taking a wait and see approach before entering the North. The Israeli leaders have constantly stated their intentions to the Hamas that an attack is imminent if the young man is not immediately released.

The ruling leaders of the Hamas must have the combined intelligence of a Dodo bird if they think they can achieve anything other than their total and complete annihilation. The Hamas already controlled the Gaza strip since Israel pulled back from their captive positions. They were close to achieving something that had not previously been done, Palestinian Statehood, the only roadblock to this historic event was one little thing, recognizing Israel’s right to exist, something the Hamas was not about to do.

The Palestinian people have lost everything they have ever gained now that the volatile Hamas is in charge. The night attack into Israel must have bolstered their confidence to new highs making them feel invulnerable to any Israeli reprisals, taking the IDF soldier as a hostage must have seemed a good idea at the time, but that one event may lead to their ultimate destruction, or the entire destruction of the Middle East, history will be the judge.

Events are already in play in the Middle East with reports of a missile with a chemical warhead fired into Israel by Hamas militants and a land mine detonated near the border with Egypt. Israel has already moved their forces into position and their aircraft has flown over the Syrian President’s home in a show of displeasure for Syria assisting the Hamas.

The world is taking a back seat to this and we can only hope they will continue to do so in the event this escalates into a full-scale war. With history and philosophers constantly raving Armageddon is close at hand with the final end game to be played out in the area now at odds, perhaps the best place to be for the rest of the world is on the sidelines, we can only hope it remains that way.