Middle-East and the Cycle of Violence

Palestinians repeatedly commit acts of terror against Israeli civilians, men women and children. After a while  Israel retaliates against the terrorists and kills civilians, men, women and children in "collateral damage". A major act of retaliation cools down violence for a while, until the cycle starts again. The only way Palestinians can inflict pain on Israel is by targeting "soft" civilian targets; they only way Israel can fight terrorists that hide among civilians is by inflicting damage to civilians, too.

This is not new; this cycle is going on since the early fifties (see Qibya, Maale Akrabim...), and the pattern was set even before the establishment of the state of Israel.  When people or nations consistently repeat the same behavioral pattern then, no matter how irrational and destructive the behavior may seem, one is bound to accept that this behavior fulfill a deeply seated need of the acting parties. This need may be pathological, but it is real, nevertheless. 

One can speculate about the roots for this need. It could be, on the Israeli side, the "never again" pathology inflicted by the holocaust: never again be a victim, never again be weak. It could be, on the Palestinian side, that the core of Palestinian nationalism has always been the fight against Zionism. It can simply be that neither side can feel whole with only half of the land it feels it owns.

No matter what are the roots of this pathological cycle of violence, its long term persistence is a clear indication that both sides would need to alter in fundamental ways their worldview and core beliefs, in order to behave otherwise. Finding a reasonable compromise is not the issue; truces and arrangements of all kinds are palliative. 

What therapy can change the pathology of the Middle-East?