Since the Madrid Conference in 1991, the world's leaders have been working to achieve peace between Israel and its Arab "neighbors." All their efforts have failed. Why?
The answer may surprise you. As anyone who has visited the Israel knows, much of it is an arid land that can barely support life. In 1948, the Negev desert covered 65 percent of the nation of Israel. Survival in a desert land 
The land of Israel had no value to the Arab people until the Jews claimed it.
requires its own set of rules, which are not understood by Western society, including a Westernized Israel. Yet these rules are what define the outcome of any Israel-Arab peace process.
Rule No. 1: "If it is valuable to you, it is valuable to me. If it is not valuable to you, it is not valuable to me."
Walk into the Arab market, and an earnest merchant will offer you a fabulous price on his wares. If you walk away, the merchant will drop the price with every step. The reason? A desert land is no place for extraneous things. Therefore, if an item has no value to you, then it must not be valuable, and has no value to me. If an item is valuable to you, then be definition, it must have value for me, as well.
For example, the land of Israel had no value to the Arab people until the Jews claimed it. As soon as the State of Israel was born, Jordan, Egypt, Syria, Iraq and Saudi Arabia attacked to capture the 20 percent left to the Jews. After all, if it was valuable to the Jews, it had just as much value to the Arabs.
Conversely, when Israel withdrew from Gush Katif, the Arabs could have turned it into a model of Palestinian (sic) nationhood. It didn't happen. Once Gush Katif had lost its value to Israel, it had lost is appeal (and value) to the Arabs.
Rule No. 2: "One's word is only valid for the moment."
In a hostile environment, one must do whatever it takes to survive. Concepts such as honor and honesty take on an entirely different character. Instead of timeless values, they are the temporary means to achieving a desired end.
For example, Joseph's Tomb is located in the heart of the ancient town of Shechem, also known as Nablus. In 2000, the Arabs claimed it was really the burial place of a Muslim holy man, Sheikh Yousef. Nablus Mayor Ghassan Shakaa proclaimed loudly, "If it's Sheikh Yousef, we will turn it into a Muslim shrine. If it's the Prophet Joseph, who we also believe in, then we have to talk about how we can resolve this, how we can organize visits by Jews under Palestinian control."
Soon, he had a chance to prove his words. In October 2000, the Israeli Army abandoned the site rather than offend the Arabs of Shechem, and crazed mobs torched the building. What happened to the mayor's declaration? Like the persona of Sheikh Yousef, it was only required for the moment. Once it passed, so did Mayor Shakaa's commitment.
Rule No. 3: "History is subjective, not objective."
Most cultures have a sense of history based on tradition and artifacts. To the Arab culture, what happened is of little importance; what they think happened is what counts.
For example, most Arabs (and many infidels), view the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock as the third holiest site in Islam. Yet the Koran never mentions Al-Haram Ash-Shareef (the Noble Sanctuary) or anything of the sort. Furthermore, Mohammed lived around 700 CE and never set foot in the land of Israel. The Jews certainly did, however. In fact, the Jews have lived in Israel for more than 3,000 years, over two millennia before the birth of Mohammed and the formation of Islam.
By comparison, Jerusalem is mentioned more than 700 times in the Bible; the same Bible that the Arabs use to trace their lineage back to Abraham. Furthermore, the location of the holy Temples has been documented by Scripture and verified by archaeologists. For example, in June, 2004, archaeologist Eli Shukrun discovered the Second Temple-era Pool of Siloam. This pool is mentioned twice in the Bible, (Nehemia 3:15 and Isaiah 8:6). Yet, a statement by the Higher Islamic Authority of Palestine Al-Quds in 2001 read, "The claims being made by the rulers of Israel and its rabbis about the alleged Temple are pure fabrications without any base or foundation." Obviously, any Jewish proof flies in the face of the Arabs' subjective view of history and must be wrong.
Rule No. 4: "Might determines right."
1993 marked the beginning of six-year effort known as the Oslo Peace Process. During the same time, Arab attackers murdered more than 1,000 Jews. In essence, the process of peace directly caused acts of war.
The reason? Politics is the art of compromise. In a desert land, compromise is a sign of weakness and weakness means defeat. Therefore, any attempt at negotiation or conciliation is sign that the opponent has no hope, desire or ability to be victorious. Strength, on the other hand, represents a potential threat to survival, so a strong adversary is best avoided.
The bottom line: if you fight and win, it's yours. If you lose, it's ours. If you act like the loser, then you really didn't win. And compromise, no matter how sincere, is the act of the loser. 
If you act like the loser, then you really didn't win. And compromise, no matter how sincere, is the act of the loser.
The point is, two nations cannot govern one territory. So the question is: Can there ever be peace? Two scenarios can be envisioned. The first is Divine intervention. In 1991, CNN interviewed the Grand Rabbi of Lubavitch, Rabbi M. M. Schneerson (the Rebbe), who proclaimed. "The [Jewish] Messiah is ready to come. All that is required is an increase in deeds of goodness and kindness."
Rabbi Schneerson's prediction could be easily dismissed, except for thing: his record. For 44 years, Rabbi Schneerson's insight and advice proved amazingly accurate time and again. For example, in 1987, the Rebbe told Dr. Herman Branover that soon, Russian Jews will be able to live in Israel if they want. In 1991, Branover told Mikhail Gorbachev the Rebbe's prophecy. He said that it was impossible, arguing, "I did not have a plan at the time; so how could he have known what I was going to do?" The fact is, the Rebbe was right. Will the Rebbe be right again? Only time (and an increase in acts of kindness) will tell.
The second scenario is much less rosy. Despite all the desires of moderate Arabs and Israelis alike, peace can only be achieved when Israel and America stop expecting Arabs to play by Western rules; and instead start playing by theirs. Total victory or absolute defeat - in a desert land, those are the choices. Through five wars, innumerable terrorist attacks and persistent bombs from Gaza, the Arabs have made their position clear. Now Israel and America must do the same.