I have had the fortune to play a very small role in the transformation of the Arab-Israeli conflict, one of the most deadly and costly conflicts of this century, into a process of accommodation that ultimately will, we hope, evolve into peace. I believe that the transformation process is well underway and that it is irreversible. I urge you to keep that thought in mind, because it is absolutely essential that we try to strike a balance between what is possible and what is probable. Analysis and journalism more often than not are the art of the probable. One spends a lot of time explaining to people why something cannot happen .
Diplomacy is the art of the possible.
One spends most of the time trying to explain to people why something can happen . U.S. policy, with respect to the Arab-Israeli conflict or any other conflict, frankly, is in essence about finding the right balance between what is possible on one hand and what is probable on the other. First and foremost, it would not take a brilliant analyst to suggest that we are witnessing the most profound crisis in the pursuit of peace since the process began, certainly since I have been involved in it. It is profound because it is not a crisis between individuals or over discrete issues around the negotiating table. It is a crisis of confidence and partnership.