Sooner or later the Military Conflict in Gaza will com to an end. The latest round of meetings in Egypt is a sign both sides have exhausted what little political capital they had. Despite Israel's success in keeping much of Western media out of Gaza, this conflict has been a PR disaster for Israel's image and policy. Hamas' technical abilities have suffered greatly, but the ideology has gained an enormous recruitment pool. As was the case with 2006 Hezbollah war, there are no winners in this conflict.

It will be years before key issues of Israeli-Palestinian conflict are resolved. Settlements, the right to return, and exact boundaries are the sorts of specific challenges for negotiators to address. Bush's administration waited 7 years before it's pathetic effort to bring two sides to the negotiation table has failed as expected. Obama needs to make a two-state resolution his top priority. Overwhelming majorities of both peoples in the region support it--there is no reason to postpone it any longer. Meanwhile, Palestinians and Israelis, US, Egypt, UN and others with any credibility left in the region should realize that both policy and rhetoric on both sides need to change.

Israel needs to be reminded that people in oppression will support (or at least publicly not oppose) ideologies more extreme than their own views. Blockades on Gaza must be lifted; some basic freedom of movement is one of the most basic human rights. Palestinians should not be dehumanized, they should be treated with dignity and respect, and when Israel says Hamas is the enemy not Palestinians, it needs to make every effort to act accordingly. It would be a great gesture for Israel to help Gazans rebuild so much of the destroyed infrastructure. Palestinians, at the same time, need to realize that Israelis cannot live in fear. As long as rockets land on Israel's soil, regardless of damage and casualties, Israeli government will have a blank check for military operations.

US can play the most crucial role of all: provide both sides with hope, something that is in such short supply in Palestine. It can come in a form of moderate, unbiased and urgent mediation as well as economic development, humanitarian relief and education alternative to Hamas'. As Bill Clinton has declared of foreign relations, half the job is showing up.