COMMENT | Deadly politicking main cause of fresh Middle East conflict

COMMENT | What were the causes of the latest conflagration in the Middle East after a general disquiet for seven years since the last significant conflict with Hamas, and 16 years since the last major Palestinian uprising, or intifada?

Analysts have discussed this and it looks like until the cows come home, there’ll be no consensus on this.

Some of the causes being analysed ranged from the looming eviction of the six families from the Palestinian neighbourhood of Sheikh Jarrah in East Jerusalem, the first raid on Al-Aqsa Mosque for no apparent reason on the first night of Ramadan to the march by an extreme-right Jewish group, Lehava, through central Jerusalem, chanting “Death to Arabs” and attacking Palestinian passers-by, and Hamas’ launching of rockets on Israel.

But for me, it has become increasingly clear that beneath all these causes is the overarching cause of a deadly politicking – the political survival of two Israeli politicians.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of the Likud Party and Defence Minister Benny Gantz of the Blue and White Party have been pitting against each other in four Israeli general elections in two years since 2019, with the latest one in March...