It does my heart good to see the mood lighten in this thread ..... slightly.
As a person that sees this issue with Network news eyes and lack of immediate personal connection, I view this thread with wonder while watching obviously intelligent gents and ladies lob verbal grenades at one another in hopes that the other's wits will be distracted briefly in order for their well informed point of view to inflict the fatal blow. I am impressed (absolutely no sarcasm) at each of your abilities at avoidance of each others salient points, but I am really, really interested in seeing if some one can solve this.
I appreciate the comments that the first step, "an honest broker", is not immediately apparent. Can we get further in a discussion if we go in reverse ? What if we start at the solution and work backward?
Let's say we start with our objective: A Lasting Peace between both Parties!
What is the step immediately before that? For the sake of discussion, I would offer the following general concept , but expect the experts to fill in the actual facts.
Goal: A lasting Peace between both parties.
Step 298: Each party agrees the other is not an insufferable bastard that is intent ONLY on annihilating the other.
step 297: Each part agrees the other is POSSIBLY not an insufferable bastard that is intent ONLY on annihilating the other.
step 296. etc...