It’s a mistake for Obama to try this “proximity talks” stuff – I think he needs to show some leadership on Israel and Palestine by jumping straight into the deep end and trying to resolve the bigger issues. And there’s no bigger issue than Jerusalem – but here’s a fascinating, and extremely fair-minded proposal which I’ve never seen before, by former NY mayor Ed Koch, that just might set the stage.

The legacy of 1989 is a blank slate of sorts, but rather than engage in hagiography of the past I am more interested in applying the lessons of 1989 to the future – specifically, the Israel-Palestine conflict.

Looks like the dream of a Jewish homeland is on its last legs. At the rate the settlements in the West Bank are expanding, there won’t be any alternative but a binational state left in a few decades time.

Personally I think a Federated model is the best solution – have a single government headquartered in Jerusalem, with three provinces (west bank, Israel, and Gaza).