Much of the news media coverage of President Obama’s Middle East trip focused on the quest for Israeli-Palestinian peace, the “Holy Grail” of recent American presidents. But that issue, though important, is simply not ripe for resolution. Peace is impossible as long as Hamas, with its commitment to Israel’s destruction, retains its stranglehold over Gaza. Even if Israel were to negotiate a perfect peace settlement with the Palestinian Authority, Hamas is well-positioned to explode any agreement with another round of rocket terrorism. The best that can be expected in the president’s second term is an interim agreement that would set the framework for a future deal.
http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2013/03/27/what-can-obama-accomplish-in-the-middle-east/obama-should-focus-on-syria-and-iran-instead-of-israeli-palestinian-peace