During the darkest days of the second intifada, Israel’s then-Prime Minister Ariel Sharon famously demanded “seven days of quiet” as a condition for negotiations. Who remembers that at that time diplomatic efforts focused on implementation of the Tenet Plan and the first Mitchell report calling for a freeze on settlements? 

Well, the seven days of quiet is now more than seven years. The guards sitting at the entrance of every Israeli cafe have long since disappeared, and the walls Israel is building around itself contribute to a renewed sense of security. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is in no hurry to upset a deluxe occupation that enables Israel to consolidate its hold on the West Bank and exploit what he sees as an unprecedented opportunity for Israel, if not to make peace with the Arabs, then to make “strategic gains” at their expense in the wake of a historic collapse of Arab power.

The contrasting narrative of US Secretary of State John Kerry is clear and compelling. Occupation, he says, harms both peoples, endangers Israel’s ability to live in peace with its neighbors and undermines Palestinian prospects for a prosperous and secure future. A deal with PLO Chairman Mahmoud Abbas is Israel’s last, best chance to end the conflict.

Kerry makes no secret of what is driving him. “Everywhere I go in the world, wherever I go, I promise you, no exaggeration, the Far East, Africa, Latin America, one of the first questions out of the mouths of the foreign minister or prime minister or president is, 'Can't you guys do something to help bring an end to this conflict between Palestinians and Israelis?'"