Israel recently celebrated 61 years of existence. On any historical scale, 61 years are not much. A little pixel in the timeline of modern history. And, indeed, most Israelis have their doubts about whether Israel can survive another 61 years.

However, these Israelis do not offer a path that Israel can take to avoid this grim perspective. The last generation of Israelis has seen little change in the makeup of parliament, government and the supreme court. The routine of talking peace in Washington, while expanding settlements in the West Bank has become our way of life over the past 20 years.

If at all, the situation has become worse with the rush of globalism and modernism into daily Israeli life. Young Israelis, tired of thinking of their future, find their peace of mind in long trips to East Asia and South America, and then, upon returning to Israel, they sink into their HDTVs during the day, and nightclubs at night. Anything to avoid reality.

And reality is close: for most of us Israelis it is no more than a 20-minute drive to the closest checkpoint separating Israel-proper from occupied territories and, beyond this checkpoint, one finds people, Palestinians, living in big open-air prisons, shadows of what used to be bustling cities. We maintain these city-prisons: we built the wall that surrounds them, we send the troops that enforce curfews and we launch the artillery shells that strike their dense neighborhoods. And we will eventually pay the price.

No matter how much grief and destruction we wreak upon the Palestinians, one thing is clear – they are still there. Today, in the area between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea, the numbers of Jews and non-Jews are roughly the same. As Jewish settlement construction in the West Bank deepens, the so-called "two state solution" is being rendered virtually impossible. With no "two state solution", the world will have to deal with a Jewish minority ruling over a Palestinian majority.

Such a situation will not persist, and, one way or the other, Israel will cease to exist as we know it.

All peace deals signed over the last 20 years attempted to create peace "from the bottom up" – you start with small confidence-building measures, and slowly make your way towards the big issues. They have all failed.

There is a clear reason why these attempts have not succeeded: the Palestinians were always perceived as the inferior side, and any agreement reached with them was presented as an Israeli concession, rather than a Palestinian right. As long as Israelis do not see Palestinians as human beings with equal rights, real peace cannot be achieved. This is perhaps the biggest hurdle we need to overcome.

Unfortunately, this change in perception must come "from the top down": our politicians must show us that they treat their Palestinian counterparts as equals. They must show us that they respect the democratic choices of the Palestinians. They must show us that they care about human rights, regardless of which humans are in consideration.

Moreover, our treatment of the Palestinians only fuels anger and frustration within their population. In turn, these feelings fuel hate and motivation for revenge.

The US has been in a similar predicament in the last few years, with anger in the Arab world over American actions in the Middle East. Americans managed to bring upon great change, by electing a president who does not promote fear, and seeks discussion rather than destruction. The task is not complete, though.

Now is the time for the US to complete this endeavour, and sweep Israel and the entire Middle East along with it, into a new era of hope. Treating the Palestinians as equals, talking about the "big issues", and engaging all sides in these discussions are crucial steps towards a true and lasting peace.