President Carter had his shot at Arab-Israeli negotiations, and, with the help of Sadat and Begin, made the most of it. President Obama has now had his. In the last couple of months of his administration, he should let this issue rest. Instead, he should adopt the diplomatic equivalent of the Hippocratic oath and do no harm. Because right now there's not a whole lot of opportunity to do good.
Ultimately, the key to solving the Israel-Palestinian conflict does not rest in President Obama's hands, nor in those of his successor. It's the parties, stupid. And neither they nor the peace process are ready yet for prime time.