The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has flared up again. A ceasefire may be imminent, but it is clear that this escalation will not be the last. “Pasaule kabatā = World in Pocket” features a discussion on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict with LTV foreign correspondent Gints Amoliņš and Māris Kūlis, researcher at the Institute of Philosophy and Sociology at the University of Latvia.
The possible end and complications of collisions
Experts agree that it is difficult to predict the outcome of the situation at this stage, but it does not look as if both sides are ready to make concessions. It remains to be seen whether and how the conflict might develop in the coming months. While both Hamas and the current Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, have benefited from this latest flare-up in an age-old conflict in order to consolidate their political positions, there is a certain fluidity of identity in society, namely that the 70-year conflict between Israel and Palestine has led to a change of generations and even to the adoption of new identities, which makes the course of the conflict unpredictable. Netanyahu therefore needs to show some backbone in order to mobilise both popular and other (far-right) parties’ support in the process of forming a government.
Kūlis believes that we should wait for now. In about a month’s time, he believes, we will be in a better position to judge the long-term development of the conflict. However, the current escalation is unlikely to change this trend significantly. For his part, Amolins recalls that Israel has a long history of cooperation with the surrounding Arab countries and that the Palestinians themselves feel abandoned by their neighbours. However, there are several spheres involved in the conflict, both experts pointing out that one is the emotional level and the other is the practical level, which can influence the course of the conflict, its development and even the possibility of other countries getting involved.
Māris Kūlis, and Gints Amoliņš. 2021. “The Eternal Israeli-Palestinian Conflict”, interviewed by Toms Rātfelders, TVNET.