Obama’s appeal: Is the gap between ideals & reality too wide to bridge?

IN HIS CAIRO SPEECH, Obama stressed the commitment to peace common to Islam, Judaism, and Christianity:
    “We have the power to make the world we seek, but only if we have the courage to make a new beginning, keeping in mind what has been written.
    “The Holy Koran tells us: ‘O mankind! We have created you male and a female; and we have made you into nations and tribes so that you may know one another.’
    “The Talmud tells us: ‘The whole of the Torah is for the purpose of promoting peace.’
    “The Holy Bible tells us: ‘Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God’.”

BUT, can this appeal to a common commitment transcend the harsh realities of the world: political conflict, economic interests, and human frailty?
    Let me translate that into a concrete reality: In Cairo, Obama declared his opposition to continued Israeli expansion in the West Bank and his support for a two-state solution.
    Do you think Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu will accede to Obama’s plan? After all, Netanyahu was elected on a platform that supported Israeli expansion and opposed a two-state solution.
    Well, it might happen. Egyptian President Mubarak supports the two-state option and claims that Netanyahu now does, too. We’ll know next week when Netanyahu makes a policy speech in Bar Ilan. (Read more here.)

    What do you think of this possibility? Could it actually happen? Or, will the harsh realities intercede once again?

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