Jonah, as to whether ‘private citizens’ should try to negotiate some sort of deal, I think that it’s fair to say that desperate times call for desperate measures. Think of some of Churchill’s efforts during the 1930s. It’s also important to stress that the analogy with Jane Fonda really does not work. She went to an enemy capital at a time of war, and worse still, she went not to try and negotiate a deal but (in essence) to proclaim the virtues of the enemy. The ‘Geneva’ Israelis are not doing anything of the sort. Moreover, for all the horrors and terrorist slaughter, Israel is not ‘at war’ with the Palestinians, as that would imply the existence of two distinct states. For as long as the occupation persists, the Palestinian issue is, at least to an extent, a matter ‘internal’ to Israel and thus, a legitimate area in which private Israeli citizens can involve themselves.

But, this is to miss the point. It is not for the US to worry about the etiquette of Israeli politics. It is for the US to pursue a policy that is in American interests – and it is in America’s interests to bring this conflict to a close. It’s that simple and, alas, that difficult.