These photographs show Palestinian refugees (at least that is how it's being reported) advancing on the Israeli border from Lebanon and Syria as part of today's Nakba demonstrations, protests, incursions, call it what you will.
Somehow, I don't think things will be the same after today. These are only pictures, but one of the realizations I had during my two weeks in Israel is that the Palestinians think they are winning. Whatever else that means is that the Palestinians sense they are advancing toward independence regardless of what Israel does, that time is on their side, and that Israel's intransigence may be Israel's greatest weakness. The Palestinians get where this is headed and Israel doesn't.
And looking at these photographs, it would be hard to argue with them. Israel needs to understand that this does not need to be a zero sum game, as my good friend over at beyondzerosum likes to say. By continuing to approach this conflict as a zero sum game, Israel may very well find itself on the losing side.
Have you seen photographs that are more iconic than these? Perhaps these photos merely reinforce my perspective and that explains my reaction to them. But if this is my reaction to these photos, imagine what the Arab world is thinking.
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