Congressional Digest

Excerpt

The latest chapter in the bloody history of the Middle East unfolded this July, as conflict once again erupted between Israel, the Palestinian Hamas organization, and Lebanese Shiite Hizbollah forces. When a ceasefire finally took effect a month later, more than 1,000 people had died – mostly civilians – and more than a million in the region were forced to flee their homes for extended periods.
As the situation escalated, the United Nations Security Council deadlocked over how best to respond. Secretary-General Kofi Annan called for an immediate cessation of hostilities, which Lebanon and its fellow Arab states f…