EDITORIAL – Zero-sum game

There was a time when suicide bombings in Israel, followed by retaliatory strikes against the Palestinians, drew shock and outrage in many parts of the globe. But after one bombing too many, much of the world shrugged and waited for the Israelis and Palestinians to obliterate each other. In their zero-sum game, it wouldn’t take too long before the two sides disappeared from the face of the earth.

Filipinos, however, can’t afford to ignore the conflict completely. There are an estimated 35,000 Filipinos working in Israel, and more than a dozen of them were wounded in two suicide bombings in Tel Aviv Sunday. At least 23 people were killed and scores wounded in the twin attacks – the worst since August last year, according to reports. The attack occurred in a district that is home to migrant workers, and about half of the victims were reportedly foreigners. A number of them were believed to be illegals, and some hesitated to seek treatment for fear that they could be discovered by authorities and deported.

The Israeli government immediately approved retaliatory strikes against the Palestinians. No doubt the retaliation will be deadly, and no doubt it will encourage further Palestinian attacks using that most lethal of weapons – the suicide bomber. The suicide attacks were launched for the first time inside Israel only about a year ago, eliciting some of the most punishing retaliatory strikes from the Israelis. Breaking this cycle of violence in that part of the world has been a major challenge to the international community for several decades. The suicide bombings have made prospects for peace even dimmer.

As the peace talks remain stalled, the international community has tried to stop the flow of support to Palestinian groups responsible for the bombings. This is proving to be as tricky as trying to revive the peace talks. In the end, however, both sides must realize that their only hope for survival lies in returning to the negotiating table.