The battle over Israel’s democracy may further inflame conflict with the Palestinians.

Violence between Israelis and Palestinians escalated alarmingly last week spiraling across three fronts: within the city of Jerusalem; throughout Israel between its Arab and Jewish citizens; and in an escalating conflict between the government of Israel and Hamas.

There is a role for robust American diplomacy in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict even now, and there is a way to implement it that could make meaningful changes on the ground in the Middle East.

If a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is to be found, the place to look first won’t be abroad, or to the UN, the United States, or NGOs, but much closer to home: in the hands of Palestinians and Israelis themselves.

Unless the Israeli government prefers to take on the Biden administration at this early stage instead of trying to coordinate approaches to Iran and the nuclear deal, it would be well advised to tone down the public rhetoric and threats and focus on old-fashioned but effective quiet diplomacy with Washington.

The de facto approach of U.S. administrations over the course of four decades has been to acquiesce to, even enable, the Israeli settlement enterprise; to be silent on the issue of legality; and to fail to impose a penalty that could limit or discourage Israel’s settlement policies.

The United States and the current Israeli government are now outliers and isolated.

A panel of U.S. and regional experts assess the legacy of the 1993 Oslo Accords and the outlook for progress toward peace between Israelis and Palestinians.

President Obama should focus the resources available to him to actively reengage in efforts to broker peace in the Middle East through a two-state solution that allows Israelis and Palestinians to live side by side in peace and security.