Hamas and Hezbollah have rearmed to the point where Israel must certainly do something, if only in self defense. Between them they have over 100,000 short and medium range rockets capable of hitting every target in Israel, and await only the word from Iran to launch another round in the ongoing but undeclared war between Israel and Iran. Into this quagmire the United States has stepped, trying to resolve the unresolvable, insisting that the two sides sit down in a friendly fashion and hammer out their differences. But there is an ancient story in the Middle East about a scorpion and a swimmer. The story is being played out again, with the United States playing the part of the swimmer.

Let me climb upon your back

Said the scorpion with a smile

For I have business to discuss

Across this wide wide Nile

You can’t fool me the swimmer said

For once upon my back

You’ll raise your stinger in the air’

And launch a sneak attack

The scorpion recoiled in shock

How can you think it so

For if I do then I must die

Along with you I go

All right the swimmer said at last

And helped him climb aboard

And in the middle of the Nile

The rider drew his sword

And plunged it deep into the back

And killed the swimming beast

The scorpion said as he went down

Well, that’s the Middle East