Mideast Roundup

In recent months the situation in the Middle East, particularly on the Israel/Palestine front, has managed to get continuously worse. For the ordinary people there who are engaged in trying to have decent lives, this is an appalling and it seems endless tragedy. One small silver lining is that the desperation has provoked some commentary from insiders on all sides that seems better, more urgent, less packaged, than usual. Quite a bit of this will probably vanish behind one paywall or another, but if you want to be disturbed, depressed, and educated here are a few voices worth reading.

This shouldn’t have to be said, but for safety’s sake: Obviously, I do not agree with all of the things I link to.

• Hamas Wins! Thanks to Us by M.J. Rosenberg.

• The Gaza Effect by Michael Hirsh.

• Hamas and the Second Six Day War: Implications, Challenges, and Opportunities by Robert Satloff.

• What Hamas Wants, and Engage with Hamas, by Ahmed Yousef.

• Symbols to fear in Gaza, by Paul Adams.

Read ’em and weep.