On Tuesday, I went for a wonderful walk in the midst of Samaria. Today, I finally realised what was disturbing me about the trip. For all the beauty of the nature, what I also saw was the very core of the Israeli – Palestinian conflict. For either side, it is no way to live (NWTL).

What do I mean?

 The walk itself was along the banks of the River Shilo. Spring flowers were out in full, and their colours won over the hearts of even your sarcastic author. The last winter rains mixed with some early summer sunshine ensured we were surrounded by a lush green backdrop.

The town of Shilo is nearby, built near the ancient city where the Tabernacle or Mishkan was located. This is holy for many different religions.

So why the phrase NWTL?

To get there, we travelled north out of Jerusalem along Route 60. Palestinian and Israeli drivers happily took turns breaking the speed limit. Each had their own number plates. Each was able to move freely to where they wanted. Fine, but then look again.

Under current peace proposals, Israel will be asked to surrender control of Shilo. Jews will not be allowed to return to a key holy site nor have access to the nature trail I trapsed. NWTL.

Sure Palestinians were zooming freely up and down the road. But on the edge of Jerusalem, they have to undergo security checks to visit friends and family. NWTL.

The security checks are staffed by young 18-20 year old soldiers, who are being asked to make immediate and sensitive decisions, all day every day. Not a fair imposition, leading to unsatisfactory results for all. NWTL.

Looking at the Palestinian villages from a distance and comparing them to the set up of Israeli towns, you can see that the Palestinian Authority is clearly unable (and unwilling) to invest resources in their social development. NWTL.

The route back to Jerusalem was poorly marked, and Israeli drivers nearly caused accidents as they desperately tried to ensure not to take an incorrect turn and thus drive into the wrong village. Who needs that danger or fear? Who needs to be humiliated by these drivers? NWTL.

The list goes on. But do not misunderstand me. Israelis have rights like any other people on the planet – to live their social /religious dream in peace and security. In parallel, the Palestinians deserve better.

And here’s the punchline. As Obama is sucked in to the depths of office, his lackies are also beginning to resort to the spin of the past. They are clearly gearing up to pressure the new Israeli government, assuming that this will bring results.

BUT, the fact is that there is no peace plan – Saudi, American, Israeli, European, etc – that gives a full and genuine resolution to these on-going subjects described here.

World leaders, including Israelis and Palestinians, must start to engage with those real, day-to-day, and on-the-ground issues, and in a manner that replaces rhetoric for realism and multi-level understanding. Then, maybe, we will see a sustainable peace process emerging for the Middle East.

Obama, Miliband and co have yet to reach that stage.