Fyodor Lukyanov: The Middle East is on the brink of a full-scale warAll the major players are poking each other but there is no desire to cross the Rubicon
One year after Hamas’ infamous attack on Israel, the Middle East seems to have returned to its eternal state: a hotbed of acute conflict, with waves of tension. Outside observers can only look on in horror, while experts shrug their shoulders. That’s how it was, that’s how it will be. How is the current crisis different from previous ones in the region, you might ask? Well, without pretending to have a deep understanding, let us note what is striking from the outside.