Avi Meyerstein writes that officials should do more to build a supportive atmosphere for future talks by encouraging and empowering the people-to-people movements that build trust and confidence. 

Meyerstein is the founder of the Alliance for Middle East Peace (ALLMEP), a coalition of 85 NGOs building people-to-people cooperation and coexistence between Israelis and Palestinians, Arabs and Jews in the Middle East.

For the US president who launched a peace process on his very first day in office, what can become of Israeli-Palestinian peace in his last year? Very little, according to the conventional wisdom.

But, don’t be misled. Yes, the conflict has deteriorated, and Arabs and Jews are dying in the streets. Yes, public figures are too often fanning the flames. Yes, a lame-duck president may have limited political capital at home and little sway abroad.

This is a terrible time to hope for short-term diplomatic progress toward a two-state solution.

But a time of low expectations and few diplomatic options is actually an ideal moment to make long-term investments in Israeli-Palestinian relations and peace. It is a moment not to miss.

Read the full article in the Jerusalem Post…

 

 

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