Israel Now Facing Attacks from Lebanon, Possible Second Front to Offensive

Despite increasing international calls for a cease-fire, it seems that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is only escalating. Now there are reports that rockets are coming into Israel from Lebanon and Israel has already retaliated with artillery strikes of its own. In Gaza, the Israeli offensive has killed nearly one thousand Palestinians to date, with nearly half of them civilians. Across the Arab world, there is condemnation of Israel's assault on Gaza and Hamas.

Osama bin Laden issued a renewed call for jihad against Israel as punishment for their actions in Gaza. Iran's top leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has banned his people from purchasing Israeli goods or doing any business at all with Israeli companies.

All of this in the midst of continuing violence that seems to have no end in sight. The issues at the heart of this current conflict are the same ones that have plagued this region of the world for hundreds, if not thousands, of years. The religious significance of the region that holds both Israel and Palestine is just too great for the world's major religions to ignore. Jews, Muslims, and Christians all have claims to the area as having enormous religious and cultural importance for their respective groups.

Because of the religious underpinnings of the conflict, there is really nothing that the world community can do to encourage a peaceful resolution. The U.N. has virtually no influence in the situation, despite repeated calls for an end to the violence. Ultimately, the only country that really can make a difference in this area is the U.S. - and that is going to take some stop-the-bleeding diplomacy from the new Obama administration. And even if Hillary is able to slow the violence, it will only be a matter of time before it erupts again.