Once again,with hope

To break the cycle of failure,the Israeli-Palestinian peace process must be reinvented

To break the cycle of failure,the Israeli-Palestinian peace process must be reinvented

The resumption of peace talks between the Israelis and the Palestinians after three years must count as a hopeful moment and a success,for now,for US Secretary of State John Kerry. Successive US presidents and secretaries of state have tried and failed to resolve the Middle Easts most entrenched conflict. As a result,both Israeli and Palestinian expectations from Kerrys efforts are low. Critics have dubbed Kerrys mission a fools errand at a time when Egypt is deep in political crisis,the Syrian civil war far from over,Iran yet to come clean on its nuclear intentions,the Middle East fractured by the growing Shia-Sunni divide and the US reducing its presence in the region.

Yet,this problems potential to quickly change ground realities makes any attempt at resuming talks worth the try. Common sense dictates that the most contentious issues,such as the status of Jerusalem and the return of Palestinian refugees,be kept off the table to work out a solution on borders and security. For a future Palestinian state to have contiguous borders,the question of Israeli settlements in the West Bank must be addressed. At the same time,cooperation between Israeli forces and the Palestinian police must be ensured to guarantee Israels security. Moving on these two matters can help build mutual trust.

Neither Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas nor Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is in a position to tackle the larger issues. Abbas has no say in Hamas-ruled Gaza; Netanyahu depends on his far-right cabinet colleagues. Kerry,Netanyahu,Abbas and former US ambassador Martin Indyk,whos at the helm of the talks,know that time is running out for the two-state solution. But if the cycle of failure since the 1993 Oslo Accords is to be broken,the peace process must be reinvented,which calls for America to be both pragmatic and creative.