Is there any possibility of peace between Israel and the Palestinians, or must we simply get used to periodic wars that deny both sides the tranquility and stability they seek?
It is easy to be pessimistic. The history of the region is littered with failed peace plans, collapsed diplomatic conferences and thoroughly disillusioned mediators. Everything seems to have been tried and nothing seems to have worked. Everyone is left assigning blame to anyone but themselves.
Yet to give up on diplomacy is to accept the unacceptable: eternal war. That is why, even amid the horrors of the latest Gaza conflict, talk of an eventual two-state solution remains alive and has actually grown louder.