Hamas is not to blame for formulating a political and social campaign that managed to oust a largely inept and corrupt Fatah movement. Democracy is what the US pushed for in the Middle East and they got Hamas who they then promptly started ignoring in the the favor of reinstating Fatah into power. Instead of negotiating with Hamas, the US and Israel basically went around them to Fatah. Why? Fatah is more malleable to concessionary action. This was self fulfilling prophecy for Hamas who found more cause to use terrorism against Israel. While this is not a supportive plea for Hamas, who deep inside their ideology believe that Israel should be wiped out, it does show the lengths to which Israel and the US would go to control the terms of negotiation.

Ultimately I believe that it is Israel's wish to contain the peace issue in formaldehyde for as long as possible, their inaction to seriously consider drawing back to 1967 borders only fuels more retaliation by extremists elements, which Israel then uses to impose more security and encroach further into post-1967 lands. Which is beneficial for them, they have captured and controlled more and more land over the last 60 years that this conflict has been playing out over.

At this point Hamas, Fatah and any other formation is fighting a losing battle against an opponent who outmatches them far more on military and economic means. Concession to peace is the only solution the price of which would be a total annexation of most of Palestinian land.

Israel would dictate the terms, an example would be the complete hand over of East Jerusalem, which would mean a lose of its political, cultural and religious center. That is only a 1% adjustment over 1967 lands. I don't believe one is fair when dictating the terms, the Palestinian people would inherit a shell state, or a become a stateless people within Israel along the lines of Bedoun in Kuwait.

Tzipi Livni had to prove she was capable of action, the transition in US power cripples a credible response from the only nation able to dissuade Israel. The losers are the countless civilians caught in the crossfire, most of which will be Palestinian people.

Obama should (but probably will not) make the peace process a central piece of foreign policy, as injustices carried still ring true through Arab people and their leaders. Formulation of peace on which all Palestinians can agree on would allow for normalization of relations between the US, Israel and the Arab world. But that won't happen as Palestinians differ on the terms of peace, Israel is too willing to continue this decade long process of wholly swallowing the Palestinian lands and the US is too afraid to take actionable stances on terms.