On Israeli-Palestinian fighting

Rarely can there have been an image as horrible as that of the Palestinian child killed by crossfire in Gaza on Saturday. First we saw a 12-year-old boy sobbing in panic while his father tried to shield him; then the pair lay still. ...

What provoked this sudden eruption? The proximate cause was a visit by Ariel Sharon, leader of the Israeli opposition, to the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. Sharon's irresponsible behavior was itself a consequence of a volte-face by Israel's Prime Minister, Ehud Barak.

Barak was elected on the basis that an undivided Jerusalem would remain the national capital. Yet he now seems willing to cede East Jerusalem to the Palestinians -- a proposal that falls short of Yasser Arafat's demand for sovereignty over the Old City. ...

Foolishly, the negotiators agreed to leave Jerusalem on one side while settling the other issues. This means that, with no slack to be given elsewhere, Jerusalem must bear the full pressure of their disagreement.

-- The Daily Telegraph, London