"Gaza is not the only island in this landlocked chain. Israel is essentially cut off too. I've stood on its borders with Lebanon and Syria, where mines and tanks and trenches mark frontlines that are still on alert. I've crossed its little-used transit points to Jordan and Egypt, signatories to a cold peace.
"From Israeli bases on the Golan Heights you can make out the lights of Damascus. From Jerusalem, the Jordanian capital Amman glows across the valley. Israel sits adrift from both."
