Why didn’t France, Germany, the UK or one of the Gulf states. Why didn’t the PRC have a role? We should not underestimate the tribal layers that matter in the Middle East. Just as Israelis may say “Palestinians and terrorists do not understand or respect our Jewishness” anyone in the Levant may say that westerners do not get his culture or social priorities. This means that the influence of western powers – after the UK and the US have wasted their function as honest broker – will depend upon more forceful efforts to resolve the Palestinian Problem.