Is there light at the end of tunnel?

Forget about the failed talks between the Palestinians and Israelis and ignore the headlines regarding the “two-state solution.” At a time, when most of us had lost all hopes in this regard, a careful analysis of the situation will help us see light at the end of the tunnel.
US Secretary of State John Kerry has been running from pillar to post with a proposal that has elicited negative response from the Palestinians. However, in my opinion it is this very proposal that will help shape the final solution in the next decade or so.
The latest proposal calls for a swapping of lands and people. What if Palestinians got rid of Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank and Israelis got rid of Palestinian cities and villages in Israel establishing two new states with new borders?
If crafted and implemented correctly, the idea will be much better than the dead Oslo Accords. But the devil is in the details. Most Palestinian citizens of Israel don’t live in border areas near the West Bank and Gaza; therefore the people swap will mean that more than one million Palestinians living in Israel will be displaced from their homes. In principle, it’s not a bad idea to gather all Palestinians in one state, as this will boost the Palestinian state’s size and potential. Palestinians living in Israel have enjoyed a better education system, thus will help to build a modern and strong Palestinian state.
Nevertheless, I don’t think Kerry’s proposal will succeed for many reasons. Most importantly, the Israeli side, being the powerful side, will impose its conditions. The Palestinian Authority, despite thinking it got the state they aspire with minimum rights and conditions, is not in a strong position politically to gain public support.
There are deep divisions among the Palestinians. As such, there will not be enough votes to adopt the proposed solutions once posted for referendum. The idea, however, will stay pending for years until it’s the time for peace and until all tenacious minds become flexible.
Until recently, Israel used to consider the idea of an independent Palestinian state a distraction to waste the time of the international community.
To Israel, the ideal solution to the issue would be the creation of a Palestinian state under a higher Israeli authority — much on the lines of a municipality.
Israel believes a crisis will push millions of Palestinians outside the West Bank borders, i.e. Jordan, solution they call the “alternative homeland.” Since this idea, proposed 50 years ago, has failed, there’s a change in the way Israelis, even the most conservative ones, think. Getting rid of three million Palestinians from the West Bank and Gaza is not enough. Two million Palestinians living in their areas (in Israel) mean that Israel won’t be solely for Israelis.
This wish has evaporated. All of the Palestine for Israelis and without Palestinians is a distant dream. This has led them to other options. They are apparently not only ready to recognize the West Bank and Gaza but are also willing to demarcate Palestine.
Nobody is fully aware of the details but one can say for sure that the world is witnessing a huge shift in the overall thought process that will have an impact on the outcome of peace talks in the days to come. However, it would be too early to pin hopes on the ongoing peace process as the issue is complication and the conflict will take time to get resolved.

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