Reply #3: Sort of "or both". [View All]

[bemildred]

A combination of what you might call a lack of consensus on where to go and/or the failure of the "leaders" to come up with an acceptable common direction for (almost) everybody to want to go in. There are, of course, fairly clear plans and road maps and so on, but nobody seems to view those as other than rhetorical devices; that is they are not seen as something someone rational might just go and do because it's in their interest to do them.

It is one thing to "want peace" and another entirely to "want peace at the price it will cost you to get it". Everybody wants peace on their own terms.

I expect round two to the current intifada, perhaps delayed long enough for the Gaza withdrawal to be carried out, there is something of a common interest in letting that happen. I expect it will get a good deal uglier this time too, though I'm sorry to say that.