Image by Hosny Salah from Pixabay
Andre Vlok wrote on Facebook:
Early in this ceasefire, it is, beyond the brief respite, hope and emotions, all too clear that this conflict has gained nothing meaningful in conflict terms. The mutual hate, existential fear, the insecurities, the alliances, proxies and goals are, if anything, stronger and more developed now than before.
One would have hoped for some real signs of successful escalation, of steps towards conflict ripeness, of a mutual sense of better options than the annihilation of the other. The optimist may argue that those seeds may have been planted, that we may see those conflict-resolution categories materialising in the next few weeks. I do not share such optimism, on my reading of the signs that are there, and the signs that are absent, but which should have been visible by now.
New generational hate, fear and despair have been written on the hearts of young and old, the bitter fruit of which will be harvested in years to come. Other methods, other tools will have to be found.
See also:
A hugely important book: A reader’s impression of The bitterness of olives by Andrew Brown