The New York Times has the scoop on Iran’s recent friendship with the Palestinian leadership. They’re happily militarily supporting not only the Palestinian Authority, but also both Hamas and Islamic Jihad. The bottom line here is that Islamic states throughout the Middle East delight themselves in fighting proxy wars with Israel using any group dumb enough to go along with them.

None of the Islamic countries have the will to actually invade Israel (thank goodness), but they’re more than happy to prolong the fight between Israel and the Palestinians as long as it isn’t really costing them anything. The bottom line is that the people actually interested in some sort of rapproachment between the Palestinians and Israelis are overwhelmed by people who want to see the fighting continue.

Between Palestinians committed to the destruction of Israel, right wingers in Israel who want to force Palestinians out of the West Bank, and spectators like Iran, Iraq, and Syria who want the fighting to continue, achieving any sort of realistic peace is nigh impossible. The people on both sides who would actually like to just get on with their lives with some sort of security and stability get screwed.