No one has really rolled this all up into 1 package for us all - but events are rushing headlong in the Middle-East to hell knows where. These are some things you might be peripherally aware of, but maybe you haven't thought about all of them at the same time.
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1. Revolutions in the street are happening in Egypt and Yemen - after the Tunisia Revolution. This is critical to us in the states because a stable Egypt is what we have long based our foreign policy on in the region.
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1.a If Egypt goes more populist, the piece treaty with Israel could be repealed. The majority of factions vie'ing for power in Egypt rail against Israel with the same intensity that Rush Limbaugh rails against Democrats. If anyone takes power they could either attack Israel (unlikely) or open arms pathways to the Gaza Strip (hugely likely). (a more Democratic Mid-East - careful what you wish for)
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1.b Yemen is the current hotbed of Al Quada. We have responded by bombing the countryside - with the support of their government. If the government is overthrow, we will have a government that is hostile to us AND has easy access to Saudi cash.
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2. Hezbollah has taken over Lebanon this week. After driving Syria out, the United States and Israel -rather stupidly - decided to break Hezbollah in Lebanon, rather than deal with it (Hezbollah in Lebanon even sent a representative to talk to us under Bush). But America cold-shouldered the group and Israel attacked them. Both of us - a little to cocky. Israel got sent home in shame and Hezbollah took the US snub and returned back to their traditional allies of Syria and Iran. Well as of this week they are in charge in Lebanon - and not afraid of Israel.
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3. The Palestinian Authority on the West Bank is in fuck-all trouble for agreeing to Israeli demands to keep much of Eastern Jerusalem. Two weeks ago, Al Jezera (the "free press" of which we in America always tell people to adopt) has reveled that during negotiations a few years ago, the Palestinians agreed to hand over much of East Jerusalem to Israel in a land swap. This has pissed off the Palestinians for 2 reasons. Less important - but more as a campaign issue - Palestinians have always said they want all East Jerusalem back. It is an empty by effective promise (think Republicans and a Balanced Budget). MORE IMPORTANT - Israel said no. We always hear from Israel that they offered Yassar Arafat 99% of what he wanted and he said no. This "proved" to Israel that Arafat wasn't negotiating in good faith. Well, since then the Palestinians offered Jerusalem and their current settlements to Israel for a land swap they agreed to before. Israel's dismissal of this "proves" to the street that Israel isn't negotiating in good faith.
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The Palestinians that want peace now have no partner to talk to, and very little leverage in the government.
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4. Israel has the most hard-line government in recent history. Their Foreign Minister has dismissed talk of a 2 state solutions, his party is pushing to make Arabs Israeli's non-citizens (he wants not as Israeli state, but a Jewish Only Israel state).
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Add to this Iran that would love to stir up any trouble to get the mid-east focus off them.
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Events Conspire.