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Much will be said in the coming days and weeks about what negotiations mean, what Israel and the Palestinians are willing to do and give up, whether the gap is just too wide, and whether a two-state solution is possible given current thinking on both sides.
I have just begun reading an important new book published last year called Side By Side – Parallel Histories of Israel-Palestine edited by Sami Adwan, Dan Bar-on (zal), and Eyal Naveh of the Peace Research Institute in the Middle East (PRIME). Developed over the last 15 years by Palestinian and Israeli scholars and educators, this work represents a wholly new way of teaching the Middle East to Israeli and Palestinian High School students. Regardless of one’s identity, both sides likely will be surprised that, more often than not, each holds a one-dimensional view of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that will obstruct peace-making.
The two narratives and interpretations of the meaning of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict are set side by side in 400 pages. Clearly, we live in two worlds and our understanding of the same historical events are very different.
Each side’s better understanding of the “narrative” of the other will hopefully result in a softening and opening of the heart to the other’s identity and experience.
No one in the Middle East wants to be a fry-ar (Israeli slang; “sucker”). Negotiations will be very difficult.
We here should be giving Secretary Kerry every benefit of the doubt in his efforts to facilitate negotiations between the Israelis and the Palestinians towards a two-state solution and a peaceful resolution of this conflict. Criticism of Kerry should be silenced. Mocking him, especially by Jewish media pundits should be quelled. What is important now is to support this renewal of negotiations. The alternative to a two states for two peoples resolution is more war, more suffering and a darkening of the landscape to death and the destruction of dreams.
Rabbi John Rosove's Blog 
I agree with you — as I so often do.
(Where do you find time to read so much?)
Warmly,
Mike
As always and once again, well said. 🙂 Shell
Hello-I am the father of your former Hebrew teacher and I live in Israel after making aliyah some years ago. I know that you certainly want peace, but you fail to draw the obvious conclusions from the very facts you state in this piece. The two “Narratives” are simply too far apart ever to be bridged. The leaders of the Palestinians constatly emphasize that the creation of Israel was a monstrous crime. Living together and “dialoguing” will not help. Look at Syria, Lebanon and Iraq. There people who have been neighbors for generations and yet they are butchering each other and there is more fear and distrust than ever, EVEN THOUGH they are all “brother Arabs”. The gulf between Arabs and Jews in Israel is much greater. Therefore tehre will never be a peace agreeemnt between Israel and teh Palestinians. The Palestinians view teh status quo as being preferable to an agreement which would be viewed as a traitorous sell-out, no matter what the terms. They will never give up the demand for full return of the Palestinian refugeeswhich no Israeli gov’t will ever accept.. So that is the situation.Sorry.