At a time when these two leaders enjoy more popular support at home than ever before, oddly there is little confidence in both of their societies in their ability to deliver anything on the most important issue that they have to deal with. In this political environment, locally and internationally, it is impossible to publicly negotiate Israeli-Palestinian peace. It is possible to generate a lot of attention, to create headlines in the local papers every day and to provide a sideshow for the international press from time to time while the rest of the world deals with other problems.6a:{"position":14,"content":"$6b"} 6c:{"position":15,"content":"It is true that without a strong US president, finalizing and implementing an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal will be almost impossible. Time is not on the side of peace. The US is neutralized until after the November 2012 elections (if Obama wins, and until after January 2013 if he does not). After the US elections, Israel will move into elections frenzy (if elections are not advanced). Can the current status quo last until then? Personally I doubt it. Time does not stand still in this conflict."} 6d:{"position":16,"content":"What is needed more than ever before, and perhaps the only avenue left for avoiding the eventual breakdown into another round of violence is a secret track of direct Israeli-Palestinian negotiations. That will only happen when the two leaders come to terms with the reality that they have absolutely no other better option to not negotiating with each other. Because both men know that there can be no peace without negotiations, because they know that the calm will not last indefinitely, because they know there is no other strategic alternative to protect the national interests of their people, they have to return to the negotiating table. These two popular lead

Encountering Peace: Yes, but!

What is needed more than ever before is a secret track of direct Israeli-Palestinian negotiations.