Here's a new year fantasy: Imagine that, in response to President Donald Trump's announcement that the U.S. will recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital, Palestinians had renounced violence and embarked on a sustained campaign of Gandhian protest.
Imagine that instead of reading from the same familiar script, Palestinian leaders had called for sit-ins, silent marches and civil disobedience rather than "days of rage." Imagine peaceful Palestinian demonstrations aimed more at drawing world attention to the justice of their cause than at producing martyrs or provoking anger at Israel.
It's hard to imagine, that's true. The Palestinian Authority has historically thought it would take violence to create a sovereign Palestinian state, and in any case it lacks the ability to bind other groups. Hamas, for its part, has often treated violence as its most effective tool. But stick with me.