From Kashmir, through Palestine to Somalia, the last weeks of last year were prodigal in reminders of how dangerous it is to ignore the festering disputes of the Middle East, South Asia and the Horn of Africa. Yes, they stew for a bit. But then they tend to boil over.

Gaza, to be sure, was already a cauldron. But it got that way in no small part because of flawed western policies: first, through allowing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to stew; and then attempting to isolate Hamas – which was democratically elected three years ago – and doing nothing to lift the Israeli siege that has turned Gaza into a prison for its 1.5m inhabitants.