World shaken by Israel's 'massacre of innocents'

OUTRAGE: As most of the world views with great outrage the Israeli-triggered 'massacre of the innocents' in the South Lebanese village of Qana, a question that asserts itself is whether Israel has irrevocably shattered all hope of making speedy progress towards resolving the Middle East conflict.

Observers would need to take their minds back to the Israeli invasion of 1982, which also incurred overwhelming human costs among the Lebanese and Palestinian populations, to answer this poser with any degree of insight.

On that bloody occasion too the Lebanese civilian population and sections of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon suffered immensely.

The human devastation was considerable and the world was aghast at the sheer ruthlessness of the Israeli incursion. It was in the course of this tragedy that former Israeli Premier - then army chief - Ariel Sharon earned the nickname, 'the Butcher of Lebanon'.

With the massacre at Qana, history seems to have repeated itself in Israeli-Lebanese relations.

This time round, though, the heart-rending and appalling nature of the Israeli action seems to be more overwhelming with well over 30 Lebanese children too losing their lives.

Inasmuch as the Israeli invasion of Lebanon of 1982, put back the hands of time and shattered hopes of speedily resolving the conflict, the Israeli invasion of July-August 2006 too could be expected to take a heavy toll, not only in human terms and those of material devastation, but also in terms of the considerable set back the conflict resolution process has suffered.

Therefore, hopes of forging ahead with the negotiating process emerge as a principal casualty of the great human tragedy currently visited on Lebanon.

As could be seen, almost the totality of the Arab world, besides considerable sections of the world outside, are completely outraged by the mindless bloodletting in Lebanon.

The massacre of the children epitomises the excessive and grossly disproportionate character of the Israeli military action.

In degree to the proportion to which world opinion is outraged and grief-stricken at the human costs of the war in Lebanon, to the same degree would Israel and its chief ally the US lose support among the same sections.

All this means that the ethnic polarities in the Middle East would be progressively heightened and that there would be a greater tendency for those remaining uncommitted in the Arab world, to seriously partake in 'Jihadic' wars against the Israeli state.

It should not come as a surprise if scenes suggestive of outright armed confrontation between Israel's neighbours and the Israeli state of around 15 years back, erupt once again in the Middle East; a case of 'getting back to Square One'.

It would be a case of disproportionate military action by the Israeli State completely radicalising Arab populations and other groups which face the brunt of the Israeli-inspired violence.

Apparently, then, the ethnic and cultural polarities in the Middle East are set to widen alarmingly, resulting in a complete clouding of peace prospects.

The Middle East, should brace for more and more displaced persons and refugees who in turn would compound the economic and political turmoil in the region.