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Johannesburg, South Africa -- My visit to the Middle East felt like being transported back in time to the despair and daily mass funerals in the bloody years of early 1990s apartheid South Africa. A few weeks ago, in the dust, sweltering heat and tense air of Ramallah and Jerusalem, I saw the same tiredness, despair and despondency -- among both Palestinians and Israelis.
Johannesburg, South Africa - The use of brute force and might to 'promote' international security by the United States, as the world's only superpower has more often than not, turned the world against it. Surely, the lesson for China from forceful U.S. diplomatic interventions elsewhere must be that 'soft' diplomacy is in our uncertain, dangerous and complex world, a more effective strategy to achieve diplomatic ends.
Johannesburg, South Africa -- A prisoner swap between Israel and Palestine is now an integral part of any solution to the current escalating crisis in the Middle East. If necessary, all the parties must agree to a neutral mediator to facilitate the swap. Any further strikes by Israel are likely only to raise further tensions and unleash yet more reprisals from those in Palestine and in the surrounding areas.
Johannesburg, South Africa -- The last G8 summit in Gleneagles ended with a bubble of expectations, hopes and promises, most of which were dashed one year on. Then, the leaders of the world's largest economies promised quick and lasting action on Africa, debt, aid and trade. African leaders were specially invited to the party and were afterwards duly photographed with the leaders of the industrial world to underscore the good intentions.
Johannesburg, South Africa - U.S. Secretary of State Rice should have pushed for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire rather than insisting on complex terms. She should have demanded an international military force be sent in immediately to create a "sterile zone" in southern Lebanon.
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