Recently, Israel has had several conflicts with its Middle East neighbors. At the same time, however, it has prepared to begin direct negotiations with the Palestinians.

Its relationship with northern neighbor Lebanon became tense again in August. On August 3, the two countries exchanged fire along their border, killing three Lebanese soldiers, one Lebanese reporter and one Israeli officer. The Lebanese Government accused Israel of violating the UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which called for a ceasefire in the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict.

DEAL BEING SET: U.S. President Barack Obama meets with visiting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on July 6 (XINHUA/AFP)

In mid-August, Israel, displaying its military might, launched a large-scale military exercise in a northern area that borders Lebanon.

In late July and early August, Lebanese security authorities arrested more than a dozen Lebanese officials suspected of offering information to Israel.

On August 9, Hassan Nasrallah, leader of the Lebanese paramilitary and political organization Hezbollah, accused Israel of assassinating former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafic Hariri. He also showed a photo of an unmanned Israeli plane hovering above Hariri's home.

Two months earlier, Israel created another conflict that drew vehement condemnation in the international arena. On May 31, Israeli commandos raided an international aid flotilla bound for Gaza, and caused a number of deaths.

Despite the conflicts, Israel has recently responded to U.S. appeals, expressing its willingness to open direct negotiations with the Palestinians.

Official Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations came to a halt in late 2008 when Israel launched attacks on Gaza. The United States hopes the two sides can restart negotiations before September so that Israel's construction of Jewish settlements does not pose a threat to negotiations. Israel promised to suspend the construction of Jewish settlements in the West Bank until September.

Although Israel doesn't want to compromise on this issue, it hopes to engage the Palestinians in the name of negotiations. That's why it insists that the Palestinians should not set any preconditions for direct negotiations.

The Palestinians believed direct negotiations would make no sense as indirect talks brokered by the United States had failed to make progress on key issues like security and border disputes.

However, the Palestinian side could not resist pressure from Europe and the United States and agreed to hold direct negotiations, so long as they are based on the Middle East Quartet's statement in March.

FIRE ON BORDER: Smoke billows from a Lebanese building along the border between Israel and Lebanon, after the two countries' armed forces exchanged fire on August 3 (XINHUA)

The statement, issued by the United States, Russia, the EU and the UN, urged Israel to freeze all settlement activities. It also set a 24-month deadline for the final settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the creation of an independent Palestinian state.

Flexing muscles

One of the reasons behind the recent conflicts is that Israel is determined to maintain its military advantage by blocking Gaza and beefing up military deterrence against Lebanon. It needs to constantly show off its military power because the country's security is based on absolute military dominance over the Palestinians and other Arab nations, as well as over regional anti-Israel forces, like Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon. Therefore, Israel always prefers military reactions when challenged.

Upon discovering the international humanitarian aid flotilla's plan to break the Gaza blockade, Israel chose to stop the flotilla, even if it meant using military force. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu didn't worry about the decision's potential impact on the U.S.-Israeli relationship.

After the military strike, the U.S. Government didn't condemn Israel. Instead, it only postponed Netanyahu's planned visit to the United States.

"I want it to be clear to Hamas, as well as to the Lebanese Government, which we hold responsible for the violent provocations against our soldiers: Do not test our determination to protect Israeli citizens and soldiers. Our policy is clear. Israel responds and will continue to respond forcibly to every attack against its citizens and soldiers," Netanyahu said.