Response to "I have hope"

My son Doron, responded to my previous post with a thoughtful rebuttal.  He is more realistic about the prospect of peace.  He believes that for the foreseeable future, a strong Israel is the only available solution.  Below is his letter in full.

By Doron Ohel

I agree that empathy is needed from BOTH sides to reach critical decisions, but according to Dennis Ross, that is not enough.  Action then needs to be taken by leadership to make painful compromises and concessions to reach a mutual livable compromise (not peace, let's not be naive, but a working compromise to better the lives of both peoples).  see article:

http://www.csmonitor.com/Commentary/the-monitors-view/2014/0805/What-Israelis-Palestinians-expect-from-the-world-but-not-each-other

Unfortunately, the Palestinian leadership has not budged one millimeter in its negotiation positions in the last 22 years of the Oslo Accords, and if the Gaza conflict says anything, has actually been going backwards.  As far as empathy by the the Palestinian educated elite, the firing and blackballing of an Al-Quds professor who organized a trip to Auschwitz a few months ago is not a good sign of that culture's political maturity in dealing with this conflict.

http://www.timesofisrael.com/palestinian-lecturer-who-led-auschwitz-trip-quits-after-backlash/

From the Israeli side, education and legislation may be needed to stop the creeping effect of anti-Arab racism by the younger generation.  the revulsion and near-universal condemnation of the lynching of the East Jerusalem teenager's revenge killing points that this is a phenomenon alien to Israeli culture.

Whether the Israeli leadership will take any further risky unilateral steps to forestall a future, long term, hypothetical "black swan" event is extremely unlikely.  With ISIS, an even more bloodthirsty and nihilistic organization than Hamas, knocking on the Eastern front, that makes it even less likely.  It is not in human, nor political nature to do so, especially not in Israel's position with minimal to zero room for cushioning against mistakes, to make such extremely long-term calculations.

As far as hope is concerned?  This is a latest battle that has lasted now for a century. and will probably last for another one.  The side that has the stamina, resilience, and fortitude to go on will ultimately prevail.  Judging Israel's accomplishments from 1914 to 2014 and the Arab side, I would continue to bet on the Israeli side of the ledger for the long-term.