The world is a dangerous place. In recent times, it's become even more dangerous.

If commercial airlines are not crashing or disappearing, man is harming his fellow man in war.

Lately, the question in the international community is whether a peace deal can be brokered between the Israelis and Palestinians.

Such a deal nearly became a reality last week.

However, the possibility was crushed just two hours after the agreement was brokered when Palestinian militants allegedly killed two Israeli soldiers and captured one.

According to Israel, Hamas and its military allies are to blame for the attacks on its soldiers.

Two hours after the deal was reached, Israel resumed attacks on areas in the Gaza.

President Barack Obama has spoken out against the Palestinian government and its alleged actions.

"I want to make sure they are listening," Obama recently said. "If they are serious about a cease-fire, that soldier needs to be unconditionally released."

The recent conflict has resulted in nearly 2,000 Palestinians killed. According to the United Nations, 70 to 80 percent of the casualties are civilians and many are children.

Are statements similar to Obama's enough to put an end to a conflict ongoing for well over a century?

What is the role of the U.S. government and the international community in ending the Israeli-Palestinian conflict?

A peace deal will require more than mere statements. After all, the conflict between Israel and Palestine began in the late 19th and early 20th century.

It's a conflict deeply grounded in religious tensions among the Jewish settlers in Israel and the Arab population in Palestine.

Religion is a touchy subject, not only in America, but particularly worldwide.

What does each side want?

Israel said it is striving for demilitarization of Gaza, controlled by Hamas. The Israeli government, in particular, wants to eradicate weapons that may threaten and harm the Israeli population.

Hamas, on the other hand, has demanded an end to Israel's blockade of the Gaza and the release of prisoners.

Within the U.S., the conflict is not only dominated by geopolitics, but also by personal political preferences.

Rational and well-thought-out political strategy has taken a backseat to personal politics.

If America is going to take a lead in attempting to draft a peace deal between the Israelis and Palestinians, petty and shallow politics must be abandoned in favor of a solid strategy that aims exclusively at ending the ongoing conflict.

I find it disturbing human life continues to perish while the international community sits around merely discussing what to do next.

America must take a more dynamic, active role in a peace deal.

According to political scientist Michael Desch of the University of Notre Dame, Obama must act as an arbitrator of sorts to pave the way for peace.

"The president needs to take a truly even-handed approach to dealing with the conflict, even though it may be risky and cut against the grain of historical U.S. policy," Desch said in 2011.

Ending the conflict is important for the Israelis and Palestinians, but it's also crucial to the international community.

Large conflicts such as this one have a tendency, if they are not contained and extinguished, to grow larger not only within a certain geographic area, but within the context of the world.

The last thing America needs is to commit more troops, resources and money to an inflamed, international dispute and conflict when we are at war, in our own homeland, with countless Americans barely surviving economically.

The time for worldwide peace is now.

Perhaps a peace deal that remains intact among the Israelis and Palestinians will set the example and lead the way for further peace proposals and deals in other parts of the world.

And maybe, just maybe, a peace deal authored and led by the U.S. will allow the tension-ridden Democrat and Republican parties to come together as one and finally reach some common ground.

It's never too late to work together as one to achieve a lasting peace.

Note: Israel and Hamas agreed to a cease fire, brokered by Egypt, Aug. 4. Israel withdrew its troops from Gaza. Hamas said it would agree to peace talks.

Mark Reccek

editorial assistant

Whitehall-Coplay Press

Northampton Press

Catasauqua Press