Peace Now

* Peace Now: Chances for two-state solution diminishing * Settlements issue key to restarting frozen peace talks By Ori ...

This is the real struggle taking place today in Jerusalem: a battle between those whose vision for the city hinges on guaranteeing full rights and a dignified existence for all residents, and those who place politics and divine decree ahead of the everyday needs of the people.

In Silwan there is a fight over nationality, history and also religion. For the Palestinians, it is a Palestinian neighborhood, next to Al-Aqsa Mosque where thousands of Palestinians have been living for ages

Two more houses in Palestinian neighborhoods in East Jerusalem taken over by settlers. Are these just routine settler provocations or something more? The answer is: both.

What will this meeting look like? Of course we don't know. But here is an advance peek of various scenarios that might play out.

In East Jerusalem, there are Palestinian neighborhoods with tens of thousands of residents, which in the last months have been at the center of clashes between settlers, police, and residents.

If the settlement moratorium on Gaza is not extended, these past 10 months will have had no significance on the ground.

Instead of spending so much time bickering among ourselves about how to help Israel, we ought to just get out there and do it, each in our own way.

This is how it has worked in the Occupied Territories since 1967. Settlers establish facts on the ground, apply pressure, threaten violence, and the IDF and the Israeli government give in.

The talk and the press reports over the last few months about settlement construction and a settlement freeze have left many confused.

At least in terms of words and declarations, there is a settlement freeze; in terms of deeds -- it is too early to know.

Based on the zeal with which the media jumped on the non-story of Clinton's speech in Jerusalem, it is hard to avoid the impression that a lot of people are more interested in seeing Obama fail than succeed.

If any party should be selling peace, it's Israel. Yet, incredibly, it's always the reverse: Palestinians are selling a peace they can't deliver, while Israelis are buying a peace that doesn't exist.

If Hamas bombs actually started falling on Dimona or Tel Aviv, would the "peace camp" still be harping against "military solutions" and calling for "immediate cease-fires?"