It is generally acknowledged that the only solution to the conflict between Israel and Palestine is to create a Palestinian state. It is also generally acknowledged that the political conditions in Israel make that solution virtually impossible.
U.S. policy for years has been to try and nudge the two parties to an agreement through confidence-building measures. But that obviously has not worked.
Mid-East expert Juan Cole has a different sort of solution:
In fact, I think Obama should make it clear that by 2011 he will simply recognize as the Palestinian state the government of the Palestine Authority that is elected next January. That would be an excellent way of forcing all the parties to make sure those elections are not handled carelessly. And it will put everyone into over-drive in making sure the transition goes well. I have been saying for some time what Ahmed Qurei recently did, that if the Israeli settlers want to stay in the West Bank, they must accept Palestinian citizenship. A government of Palestine that has Jewish constituents might anyway be a good thing.
Obama has an opportunity, through making sound and wise policy on this issue, to resolve 80 or 90% of the problems the US has with the Middle East. It looks as though he is going to give it his best shot.
