Yeah...it seems to equate well to Ireland in a number of ways...so what has more or less stopped the kiling in Ireland?
Strongly expressed weariness on the part of the Northern Ireland populace?
The troubles, as the Irish euphemistically refer to that era of violence, grew out of the civil rights movement of Irish Catholics. Despite the death-grip which Irish Prods had on Stormont, the English Parliament is basically a liberal democracy, and no amount of violence could obscure the civil rights issues. Eventually, Ulster became a bleeding wound which the government were forced to staunch, and liberal, democratic views meant that they would have to heed the reasonable demand for civil rights by Irish Catholics in Ulsters.
No such dynamic applies in Palestine/Israel.
Ok, that shows there is a difference between the two. I never said they were exactly the same, so no contest there. But what are you implying?
Am I reading this correctly and are you saying that in effect the ME problem is more difficult to resolve then the IRA problems were, since there the democratic government ultimately had no choice but to acknowledge the civil rights of the catholics? And such a clearcut situation doesn't exist in the ME?
Yeah Dlowan, I believe the IRA problems were to a large extent solved due to the weariness of the populace. Not only of course, but this I think was a big help in obtaining peace.
In essence, yes, that is what i am saying. The Irish Catholic civil rights movement was based, initially on non-violence--it copied the civil rights movement in the American South. Initially, the Irish Catholics acted in a non-violent manner to protest and agitate for their rights. The Provos (Provisional Irish Republican Army) may have wanted bloody red war, but they would not have had the support of the general Catholic community, so they continued in a low-keyed manner. Bloody Sunday changed all of that, and both sides became increasingly violent, with an advantage to the Protestant militias, because of RUC support (Royal Ulster Constabulary), and simple numbers--they were in a majority within the six counties.
The Provos, though, could rely upon support from the Republic and from the United States (unofficial financial support by ex-pats and Americans of Irish descent). But the government in Westmininster controls the RUC, and eventually, even they were embarrassed into addressing the murderous bias of the established police forces. Parliament was also paying the cost of the Protestant government at Stormont, and the cost of maintaining a significant military presence in Ulster--while suffering increasing casualties. And, for all the resentments of the English, they bascially recognized the injustices for which the civil rights movement had originally organized, and the criminal character of many Protestant militias. Eventually, with American aid, they got all parties to the table, and put Stormont on notice that they would not support a religious dictatorship.
But in Israel/Palestine, there is no such outside force who can impose on the Israelis. Had the Protestant Ascendancy in Ulster, ensconced in Stormont, governed the country independently, there would never have been any "compromise," and the favorite cry of the rightwing lunatic--"no negotiations with terrorists"--would constantly have been howled to justify any measures against the Catholic minority. That's what happens in Israel today--no compromise with Hamas, no compromise with Hezbollah.
