“Make talk work.” It’s such an easy phrase, such a simple concept. Yet as applied to this dispute, it is neither easy nor simple. For starters, even the terms for a cease fire are contentious. The Israelis have insisted on a return of the hostages as precondition, and the Palestinians were using the hostage issue as a negotiating tool. In fact, the November cease fire collapsed for that reason. And a second offer for a cease fire in January this…
