Pessimism is tempting to some who see the tragedy in Gaza, knifings in Jerusalem, radical young Palestinian (and radical young Israeli) men, and the decades of unfulfilled expectations of peace and normalcy in both communities.

The news of conflict dominates so completely our perceptions of Israeli-Palestinian relations, that most Americans would be astonished to learn of an extensive and growing infrastructure of Israeli-Palestinian collaborations, quietly building pockets of partnership and trust. These are so important, because trust is an indispensable ingredient for progress.

Just a few of these scores of impressive partnerships are : Middle East Entrepreneurs of Tomorrow ( MEET ); Valley of Peace Initiative ; Seeds of Peace ; Israel Palestine Cooperative For Economic Expansion ; The Israeli-Palestinian Chamber of Commerce (IPCC) ; The YMCA Jerusalem Youth Chorus . The list goes on and on and on. (full list available upon request)

The US is already supporting MEET. We should support more. Building trust is essential. These organizations do so.

John Kerry’s recently flawed effort to drive a relatively quick and completed two-state agreement calls to mind these observations : 1) scholarship on the durability of international peace agreements imposed by outside third-parties, is not encouraging.

The central parties in the conflict MUST be the authors of any agreement that is to endure; and 2) George Mitchell’s success facilitating the peace accord in Northern Ireland, is often attributed to his calming – not bellicose – influence. His listening skills are legendary.

Aggrieved parties are rarely happy to move to resolution without first being heard. And heard again. And again.