“Since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defenses of peace must be constructed.” So states the preamble to the constitution of UNESCO. I refer to this passage in light of the Israeli government recently dismissing the efforts of US President Barack Obama and his secretary of state, John Kerry.

While ending the occupation is clearly a decision that must be made by the occupiers, not the occupied, it is interesting to see a role reversal between the Arab and Israeli sides as to which party is interested in peace and which is rejecting all peace overtures.

The US president lavished the Israeli occupiers with praise and words of support in the hope of encouraging them to take a step toward peace. Instead, the moment he left the region, the Israelis reverted to their arrogant, rejectionist behavior.

Attempting to restart face-to-face peace talks, the United States' top diplomat found himself in a quandary. The Israelis were adamantly refusing to freeze illegal settlement activity while insisting that the Palestinians negotiate without conditions. The Palestinians — bolstered by a UN status upgrade for Palestine and worldwide support of the two-state solution based on the 1967 borders — were equally adamant, and logical, in thinking that one cannot talk in good faith when the other party is physically taking land over which you intend to negotiate. The most repeated metaphor was the idea of discussing how to share a pizza while one side is busy devouring that same pizza.