Peace in the Middle East is becoming a fairy tale.
The area has been unstable and violent for as long as our generation has been on this earth. It's difficult to imagine what life would be like if this world had a peaceful Middle East.
The fact is that it's as improbable as it is desirable. Religious conflict is lengthy conflict. There is nothing quite like religious fervor to spur man into unending defiance.
We will see violence and unrest there for years to come. Our children will see the same sights that we see now.
As such, Israel is in a tough spot. With the fall of Egypt's Mubarak, who supported Israel's right to exist, and the abrupt change of tone from Turkey, an historical ally of Israel, they don't have many friendly neighbors left.
Israel's existence is not an occupation. We believe the Jewish people have a right to that land, and more importantly, have a right to exist.
But this isn't to say peace talks between the Palestinian and Israeli people shouldn't continue. Palestinians have a right to exist as well.
However, the Palestinian leadership's decision to lobby the United Nations for statehood undermines the peace talks between the two peoples.
The credibility of the U.N. is questioned on a frequent basis. As such, the organization is not one that should be creating nations.
The U.N. grossly mishandles or outright abuses their funding. Its peacekeepers are seldom trustworthy and often hindered by bureacracy and incompetence.
As we witnessed in Haiti when cruise ships carrying peacekeepers anchored offshore and wasted thousands of dollars, the U.N. is often incapable of discipline.
It is the sole right, responsibility and privilege of the people in Israel, the West Bank and Gaza to settle their differences and to create a system that works for them.
A U.N. resolution will only aggravate an already tense situation.
If this were an impossibility, our opinion would be different. But this isn't an impossible situation. We believe peace can be achieved.
Rational, good Israelis and Palestinians exist. These people want peace, and given the opportunity, they will find a way.
However, the process has proved difficult.
Many lives have been lost in a stalemate of both military and diplomatic strength; thus, the Israeli government cannot, and should not, relinquish land that would leave them susceptible to attack.
This isn't an amazing or difficult concept. Would America not fiercely defend its borders if it were neighbors with the likes of Iran, Syria, Turkey, Egypt and Saudi Arabia?
Would we not be wary of a people who launch rocket attacks into our villages and towns while at the same time declaring we're the reason negotiations stall?
There is a problem of focus with the Palestinian people.
We do believe they want peace, but at the same time they elect a government that will not accept anything less than what amounts to a surrender on the part of Israel. The two don't mesh.
The 1967 borders cannot be reinstituted. The loss of the Golan Heights would be strategically devastating for Israeli security.
Further, Israel acquired the territory through a legitimate war of self-defense. They have as much a claim to the Golan Heights as the United States does to Texas.
The situation is complex and frustrating. It's profoundly sad to see people fighting day to day, either for what they believe or merely to stay alive. Peace is a noble goal, and we believe the Palestinian and Israeli people understand that.
Like it or not, that's the way things are in the Middle East, and no resolution from the United Nations is going to change that.
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