Meron Benvenisti

Do Israelis and Palestinians belong to one divided society, or to two separate societies in a situation of forced proximity as a result of a temporary occupation?

"Divided Jerusalem" by Bernard Wasserstein, Profile Books, 432 pages, £20.

If the two-state option melts away, the burden of coping with a binational reality will fall on all of us.

Apparently a special form Jerusalem Syndrome has been experienced by mayors of Jerusalem over the generations, making them believe that they have been charged with a messianic task.

Perhaps Palestinians have genuinely grown tired of the violence that led them to disaster and they are adopting the strategy of the Israeli Arabs, which forces the Israelis to relate to their non-violent struggle and to their community's accumulation of economic strength.

Despite the revulsion from the operation, one cannot ignore the fact that Israel scored a victory and demonstrated the futility of continuing the Palestinian resistance.