Given the latest catastrophe in Israel/Palestine, it’s time for me to repost my comprehensive plan for US policy in the Middle East, just as applicable now as it was when I suggested it back in 2011.
As usual, it’s over the fold.
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John Quiggin 
Following the link I find no plan but only this OP and comments:
“My comprehensive plan for US policy on the Middle East …
by JOHN Q on SEPTEMBER 20, 2011
… is set out over the fold. I’m confident readers who take a little time to think about it will realise it’s far superior to existing policy, and to any alternative proposed so far.
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— Svante
BTW, the latest is only a catastrophe for Usrael.
Ok, at CT I see 2 fresh comments currently under a similar OP header posted yesterday. If the plan was/is linked somehow to a tweet link appearing in the 2011/2023 OP… then, sadly, forget it.
That’s the point. The plan is to do nothing at all.
I really think John that your position demands some serious reconsideration in the light of the Kushner boy’s world-historical “Abraham Accords”. At the very least, admit that Joe Biden is old.
I sympathize with the sadness and frustration, bigtime. (It reminds me of a thousand years ago, when on the Daily Show the host refused to provide any more coverage, until people there behaved in a new way.)
We can still hope though that maybe – and it’s a big maybe – people will see where extremism leads us, and make a decision not to feed that anymore. Anger may be justified, but that doesn’t absolve us from *thinking* before we act. (This is just a general idea. I in no way am suggesting that I would do better in anyone else’s shoes.)
Maybe that is what all this tech is for. We can *see* ourselves making the same mistakes, over and over. (Before any/everyone jumps on my head, I am not saying I think Israel has done anything wrong (yet).) And I still do feel bad for ordinary Gazans, who are just straight up hostages (too). Even they do still have some agency though, and there is always hope. It’s prayer time. Sorry for the pollyanna but what else is there?
Asymmetric warfare. Conflict between a feeble force and a massive one. Best strategy for the feeble force – launch terrorist attacks on the stronger opponent and then duck for cover among civilian populations. Killing civilians evokes justifiable outrage (so too should killing soldiers!) and has dual effects on the remnant civilian population – builds up resentment that might fertilize the creation of a new flock of terrorists for the next round of suicidial attacks but also evokes hatred of the governing terrorist group. The terrorists assumes the former effects will dominate because they are now the undemocratic rulers. .
Nothing new here – the standard motivation for terrorism.
The justice claims on both sides are convoluted and complex but the upshot is mutual bitterness and hatred. Sympathy for the Palestinians but look at the recent actions of Hamas. A tangle.
Some problems have no solution and devising a peaceful solution to this one seems to be an instance. Two state solutions seem to make sense but both sides have strong opposition to this or have indicated they won’t respect such a “solution”. Maybe inching slowly toward mutual accommodations but, gee, that will be a slow, slow inching given the newly generated bitterness.
I think this is a good plan, but I’d give Australia a more significant role. Electrifying our transport sector would probably help the situation.
HC – “the standard motivation for terrorism…”
Huh?
For regular people of sound mind the standard motivations for terrorism are a long suffered major grievance and a means.
For nasty people and states the means alone will suffice.
– Svante