Middle East needs a new honest broker
In the wake of the opening of the US embassy in Jerusalem and the deadly Gaza protests that followed, other nations must step forward to ease tensions and find a new direction
Israeli and American officials could not have been so wrong; on the 70th anniversary of the creation of Israel, they hailed the opening of the United States embassy in Jerusalem as a step towards peace.
But as the dignitaries smiled on Monday, their words were being proven false at the border wall to the Gaza Strip, where the worst fighting between Israeli troops and Palestinians in four years was under way.
On Gaza’s bloody day, why did Israel use snipers?
US President Donald Trump claims he will be able to broker the “ultimate deal” between the sides. His actions could not be more damaging and it is time for global and regional powers to take charge.
China joined calls for restraint, especially by the Israeli side, after 58 Palestinians were killed and thousands injured by bullets and tear gas in the violence. There were heated exchanges between Israeli and Palestinian envoys at an emergency UN Security Council meeting, but a push for an inquiry was voted down by the United States.
Decades of efforts to find a solution have been led by the US, which has portrayed itself as an honest broker.