The U.S. Keeps Trying in Gaza; Russia Says, Who Me?

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/27/opinion/sunday/the-us-keeps-trying-in-gaza-russia-says-who-me.html

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THE debate over whether the United States is or should be the global cop is a hardy perennial around the world. But as Israel and Hamas slugged it out in Gaza for the third time in six years, there was America, once again desperately trying to pry them apart.

And though more than two-thirds of the passengers on the Malaysian jetliner shot down over Ukraine were Europeans, the European Union again demonstrated its inability to act swiftly or effectively, taking more than a week just to announce an “emerging consensus” on new sanctions against President Vladimir V. Putin, the puppet-master of the pro-Russia rebellion in eastern Ukraine.

Israel announced early Saturday a 12-hour “humanitarian window,” as Secretary of State John Kerry continued his efforts to secure a more long-term pause in the hostilities. Israeli ministers, adamant that Hamas not regroup, reportedly wanted to exclude their efforts to locate and destroy Hamas tunnels from a cease-fire agreement. Hamas demanded a full Israeli withdrawal, and seemed to relish the global outcry over Israeli military actions in the crowded Gaza Strip.

Meanwhile, the violence spread to the West Bank, where several Palestinians were killed by Israeli fire at Israeli checkpoints during enormous protests that began Thursday night in support of the Palestinians in Gaza. More and bigger protests were expected over the weekend. The Palestinian death toll in Gaza surpassed 800 on Friday. Israel had lost 35 soldiers as of Friday.

In one especially horrific incident, an elementary school under United Nations protection where hundreds of Palestinians had sought shelter came under fire on Thursday, leaving 16 people dead and more than 100 wounded. Though the initial presumption was that Israel was responsible, its military denied striking the school.

The shelling, the accusations, the protests and the hundreds of civilian deaths were all dismally familiar, as were the efforts of the United States to secure a cease-fire. Worse, there was no sense that a lasting peace was at hand.

On the contrary, Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, pointed to the hundreds of rockets fired by Hamas as a lesson in what could happen in an independent West Bank. The moderate Fatah leader in the West Bank, Mahmoud Abbas, seemed to have little sway over Hamas despite a political compact the two factions announced in April. And as Mr. Kerry made his urgent rounds and phone calls, it was easy to forget that, only three months earlier, he had invested considerable time in a failed effort to bring the sides together.

To many of those who have watched this conflict over the years, it is evident that the only solution is to create two separate states — the goal of Mr. Kerry and of several secretaries of state before him. It is also evident that the United States is the only viable mediator. The question is how many more will try to make peace, and end up only putting out fires.

Ukraine, Waiting for Help

On Ukraine, the European Union was still debating sanctions against Russia over the July 17 downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17, as American and Ukrainian officials announced on Friday that rather than reduce assistance to pro-Russian rebels after the tragedy, Russia was sharply increasing its direct involvement in the civil strife.

The officials said Russia was apparently trying to halt the advances made by Kiev’s forces, which had been retaking rebel-held towns in eastern Ukraine and fighting to seal the border with Russia. The rebels have been retreating to the cities of Luhansk and Donetsk, where they have proclaimed independent “republics.” American officials said Russia seemed to be preparing to arm the rebels with more sophisticated weaponry.

Russia has denied any involvement in the downing of the Malaysian jetliner, or any material support for the rebels. But the United States, NATO and the Kiev government have cited a growing body of evidence that Russia not only supports the rebels, but is actually firing artillery and rockets from its side of the border. In addition to the Malaysian jetliner, several Ukrainian military planes and helicopters have been downed in the fighting.

The European Union was reported to be preparing measures that would curtail the ability of Russian banks to raise capital, and limit the sales of some technologies to Russia.

But the fact that these were still under discussion as of Friday underscored the ponderousness of the European Union in shaping any joint foreign policy. As Brussels Blog reported, Herman Van Rompuy, the president of the European Council, took the unusual step of writing a letter to all European Union prime ministers outlining the proposed sanctions and asking them to approve them by Tuesday, and making it difficult for them to delay any further.

Adding to the tumult in Ukraine, the prime minister, Arseniy P. Yatsenyuk, announced his resignation over the delay of urgent legislation. But that opened the way for President Petro O. Poroshenko to dissolve the corruption-riddled Parliament and call elections for the fall.

An Agonizing Execution

There are also those news stories that may not have a global impact, but should not pass unnoticed. One that shook many was another botched execution, this time in Arizona. A convicted murderer named Joseph Wood took nearly two hours to die, during which he seemed to gasp for air. That was enough time for his lawyers to try to get a stay of execution.

It was the third execution to go wrong this year, following two in Ohio and Oklahoma. All three raised questions about the suitability of the drugs used to execute prisoners — in Arizona, a combination of midazolam and hydromorphone — and the secrecy surrounding where the drugs come from.

Senator John McCain, Republican of Arizona, described Mr. Wood’s execution as “torture,” while Gov. Jan Brewer insisted that Mr. Wood died “in a lawful manner” and “he did not suffer.” The federal judge who initially ruled in favor of a stay of execution, Alex Kozinski, offered another opinion: Since lethal injections have failed to provide the serene death they are meant to, it would be better to replace them with firing squads. Even better, perhaps, would be to end the death penalty.