WhatshouldworldlooktoforIsraeli-Palestinianconflicttobealleviated_GuangmingOnlineAnewroundofconflictbetweenIsraelandPalestinecontinuestospillover,stirringupturbulentwavesintheRedSea.OnJanuary3rd,theUnitedStatesand12othercountriesissuedajointstatementwarningtheHouthiarmedgroupthatifitcontinuedtothreatenthesecurityoftheRedSearegion,theorganizationwouldbeartheconsequences.However,thisdidnotdetertheHouthiarmedgroup;instead,itpromptedthemtochooseamoreaggressiveresponse.Justonedaylater,theHouthiarmedgroupdetonatedanunmannedboatloadedwithexplosivesintheRedSea,onlyafewmilesawayfromcommercialshipsandUSNavyvessels.TheHouthiarmedgroup,whichhasbeeninvolvedinYemen'scivilwarfordecades,hasattractedglobalattentionduetoitsrecentconfrontationwiththeUnitedStates.TheHouthiarmedgroupisaninternalShiitearmedorganizationinYemenwithaclearsectariancolorsinceitsestablishment,aimingtorevivetheZaidiShiiteImamate(knownastheZaidisect).In1962,afterthe"FreeOfficers"organizationinNorthYemenoverthrewtheImamaterule,theZaidisect,whichhadlongdominatedNorthYemensincethe9thcentury,wasgraduallymarginalized.Atthesametime,SalafismandWahhabism,supportedbySaudiArabia,continuedtoinfiltrate.InordertorevivetheZaidisectandcounterSaudiinfluence,undertheinfluenceoftheIranianIslamicRevolution,theZaidisectestablishedthe"BelievingYouth"organization,thepredecessoroftheHouthiarmedgroup,inSaadaProvince,northernYemen,in1992.ThepoliticalgoalsoftheHouthiarmedgrouparenotveryclear.Althoughithasananti-USandanti-Israelstance,consideringthatShiitesaccountforonlyone-thirdofYemen'stotalpopulation,itsultimatepoliticalgoalmaynotnecessarilybetoemulateIraninestablishinga"theocraticstate"butrathertoenjoyfullpoliticalrightsinYemen'spoliticallandscape.In2011,theHouthiarmedgroupparticipatedinnationalpeacetalks,demandingmorepowerinthenewgovernmenttochangethelong-standingmarginalizationoftheZaiditribesinthepoliticalandeconomicfields.IntheMiddleEastregion,besidestheHouthiarmedgroup,therearemanysimilarnon-stateactors,includingHamas,Hezbollah,andIraqiShiitemilitias.Thesenon-stateactorsintheMiddleEastdemonstrateasignificantcharacteristicinmilitaryconfrontationwiththeUnitedStates,Israel,andothers,namelytheirasymmetriccostsandhighmobilityinaction,makingitdifficultforthelattertodefendcomprehensivelywithmilitarysuperiorityandobtainabsolutesecurity.Inrecentyears,USstrikesagainstpro-IranianforcesinSyriaandIraq,IsraeliattacksonHamas,andSaudiArabia'slarge-scaleairstrikesagainsttheHouthiarmedgrouphavenothadtheintendeddeterrenteffect.Inaddition,oncetheUnitedStateslaunchesanattackontheHouthiarmedgroup,evenifIrandoesnotintervenedirectly,theretaliatoryactionsofanti-Westernoranti-IsraelimilitiaorganizationsintheMiddleEast"resistanceaxis"maydragtheUnitedStatesbackintotheMiddleEast,contrarytoitsnationalsecuritystrategyof"greatpowercompetition".ThisalsodeterminesthattheUnitedStateshasalowerwillingnesstofurthermilitaryactionintheRedSeaagainsttheHouthiarmedgroup.Infact,aftersinkingthreeHouthiarmedgroupsmallboats,theUnitedStateshasshowncautionandrepeatedlystatedthatitwas"inself-defense."Fromtheperspectiveoftheinternationalsituation,extraterritorialpowerscannotinstrumentalizethesecurityissuesintheMiddleEastfortheirowngeopoliticalinterests.ThemarginalizationofthePalestinianissuebytheUnitedStatesinordertoachieveoffshorebalanceandmaximizestrategicinterestsintheMiddleEastisthefundamentalreasonforthecurrentIsrael-PalestineconflictanditsspillageintotheRedSearegion.AnyregionalpeaceprocessthatmarginalizesthePalestinianissuenotonlycannotbringfairandjusttreatmenttothelong-sufferingPalestinianpeoplebutalsoinevitablytriggersrepeatedresistancefromoppressedpopulationsandmayleadtoviolentextremism.Variousforcesintheregionwillalsoformstancedifferentiationandoppositionaroundthisissue,evenresortingtotheuseofforce.Therefore,theinternationalcommunitymustpushfortheIsrael-PalestineissuetoreturntothecoreoftheMiddleEastissueandprioritizeitontheinternationalagenda.Onlybyseekingacomprehensive,fair,andlastingsolutiontothePalestinianissuebasedonthe"two-statesolution"cantheMiddleEasttrulyachievelastingpeace,universalsecurity,andensurethesafeandunimpededtraderoutesforinternationalgoodsandenergy.Currently,activelypromotinganimmediateceasefireandstoppingthewarintheGazaStriptoalleviatethehumanitariancrisisisatoppriority.TheRedSeacrisisisasecurityoverflowofIsrael'smilitaryactionsintheGazaStrip.ToresolvetheRedSeacrisis,thehumanitariancrisisintheGazaStripmustbeaddressedimmediately.Thenewconflicthasresultedin22,000Palestinianskilledandnearly60,000injuredintheGazaStrip.Duetotheblockadecausingashortageofaidsupplies,40%ofthepopulationfacestheriskoffamine.IfthedirectionisshiftedawayfromthisandfurtherattacksarelaunchedagainsttheHouthiarmedgroup,itwillnotonlyfailtocalmtheRedSeabutmayalsodragotherregionsandforcesintheMiddleEastintoconflictandturmoil,causinggreatupheavalintheentireMiddleEastregion.(ThisarticleiscontributedbyWangjian,thedirectoroftheInstitutionofInternationalAffairsofShanghaiSocialSciencesAcademy)Editor:DisclaimerTheviewsandopinionsexpressedinthisarticlearethoseoftheauthor's,GMW.cnmakesnorepresentationsastoaccuracy,suitability,orvalidityofanyinformationonthissiteandwillnotbeliableforanyerrors,omissions,ordelaysinthisinformation.