Interpreting the Middle East

Some interesting observations in this LA Times opinion piece on the clashing worldviews when interpreting the conflicts in the Middle East. I agree with this quote: "ideology cannot be defeated by concessions."

...the Mideast's central conflict is not territorial but ideological. And ideology cannot be defeated by concessions.

Emissaries also still believe that "the Occupation" blocks agreement between Israelis and Palestinians. In the West, the term usually means the territories Israel conquered in the Six-Day War in 1967....

Instead, the heart of the problem is that many Palestinians -- Fatah and Hamas, in particular -- and even some Israeli Arabs use "Occupation" to refer to all Israel.