Let’s update Einstein’s statement: making the same mistakes over and over again will not yield a peaceful outcome.

One always has to be careful making conclusions based solely on news reports. With that disclaimer already on paper, let’s take a look at some recent headlines in the news:

The IDF identified 50 Nukhba terrorists practicing an October 7th type of attack. When a request was made to turn them into minestrone, the political echelon demurred at the instruction of the international Board of Peace.

Israel could wipe out the remaining Hezbollah terrorists hiding in Ali Taher Ridge, but due to the fragile talks between Israel and Lebanon, no such action can currently be undertaken.

Hamas apparently stole IDF “engineering equipment” near the yellow line and spirited it back to their side of the enclave.

Israel is raring to attack Iran again but has been told by Donald Trump to sit tight.

Now war and peace-making are at times difficult things to balance. Sometimes there is a break in the action in order to see if a longer-lasting ceasefire can be established. Sometimes “goodwill gestures” are made in order to build confidence between sides. I have seen historical photos of Israeli and Arab officers hashing out ceasefire details during previous wars. Two states and two armies that have nothing to do with each other sometimes need to talk either directly or via intermediaries in order to reach some goal of mutual interest. I imagine Iran’s lack of firing at Israel while shooting at its neighbors may have been related to Israel sending through a third party a detailed description of what would happen should Iran choose to attack the Jewish state again.

Though there are times for peace, there are also times for war. Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran are not normal nation-states that weigh national needs against military objectives. They are psychotic........

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