“It’s complicated.” This is the standard response of many people when confronted with the crisis in the Middle East. One routinely hears that it is too complicated to understand. Even Hollywood films tend to depict the Middle East as the ultimate diplomatic and political challenge. 

Many things in life are indeed complicated. Dealing with the sudden loss of a beloved younger brother, as I have had to do this year, is complicated. Being a woman is not a piece of cake in itself. Facing one’s own mortality is not uncomplicated. To me, understanding cricket is complicated. But the nonstop indiscriminate bombing of civilians, including thousands of children, is not a complicated matter. ..

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