I needed to find reasoned commentary on the escalating conflict amongst states, amongst groups and within both states and groups in the Middle East. I found 2 pieces worth sharing.

1. Anthony Shadid, as an American journalist of Lebanese descent and with plenty of time on the ground, is an antidote to American centric thinking:

radical Shiite movement Hezbollah and its leader, Hasan Nasrallah, hold an effective veto in Lebanese politics, and the group's military prowess has heartened its supporters at home and abroad in the Arab world. But that same force of arms has begun to endanger Hezbollah's long-term standing  

Shadid goes back to the start of Hezbollah and also explains why he thinks:

conflict will likely prove a turning point in the history of the movement, which was created with Iranian patronage in the wake of the 1982 Israeli invasion of Lebanon. It has since evolved

Shadid also weaves in Syria and Iran. 

2. DAVID MYERS, UCLA teacher of Jewish history steps back

RECENT EVENTS in Gaza and on the Israel-Lebanon border reveal the extraordinary value of symbols in the region. News of kidnapped Israeli soldiers prompts rejoicing in the streets of Gaza City and Beirut, as Arabs revel in the blow delivered to the powerful Israeli Goliath. Meanwhile, for Israelis, and many Jews around the world, the image of captured soldiers induces a kind of tribal rage...

...power of symbols brings Israel and its Arab foes together again in a deadly dance. Driven by the need to protect these symbols, the competing sides have entered into yet another cycle of violence

Myers also moves forward to suggest what Israel should do