Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s and Palestinian Authority President Abbas’s presumed public commitment to a two-state solution means little unless they begin to undertake confidence-building measures to demonstrate their real intentions.
In fact, even if they really believe in what they state and negotiate to reach an agreement, they will fail just like in all previous peace negotiations unless they first prepare their respective publics psychologically by taking such measures. Failing that can only point to their sheer lack of commitment to peaceful coexistence, and no one should be fooled by their empty rhetoric because peace will not be reached without their publics’ support and engagement.
The current young generation of Israelis and Palestinians need to see each other through a different lens and adjust psychologically to accept that coexistence is irrevocable, and they must choose to either live in constant violent hostility, or in peace.
