Tony Blair, the Quartet’s Middle East envoy, yesterday said he was “pessimistic” that a deal between Israel and the Palestinians could be reached this year.

Coming from someone as optimistic as Blair, that is a truly damning verdict. But it is no more than stating what is blindingly obvious.

There will be no peace between Palestinians and Israelis this year or any year until the international community, of which Blair should be the pre-eminent representative (though he isn’t, Washington and Washington alone pulls the strings), finally starts exerting pressure where it is needed: on Israel, to allow a just solution.

The Palestinian-Israeli conflict is often described as “intractable”. But the only reason it appears intractable is that the party with all the power is simply unwilling to solve the conflict in the only way that can last.

Justice is a much-maligned concept in the post-modern West, where absolute values have lost their meaning. But, as a lowest common denominator, justice can simply be understood as the means by which as many people as possible are willing to get along.

Without it, nothing is possible.

Hence, with Israel’s seemingly insatiable appetite for conflict and land, no peace is possible. And the odd thing is, a solution that is perfectly acceptable to most Israelis is already on the table. It consists of the implementation of international law. It’s very simple.

Yet with Israeli leaders unable to summon the necessary vision and courage to follow that path, and Palestinians weak and divided, only one viable route remains and that is that the international community is prepared to take a stand.

Unfortunately, the international community, as witnessed by Blair’s cancelled visit to Gaza Tuesday, takes its lead from Israel. And it should be obvious by now that following Israel’s lead only creates conflict. After all, what would happen if Israel’s wishes with regards to Iran were followed?

So where is the statesmanship? Will we find it in the next American administration now that even Blair understands that this administration has nothing to offer?

We can only hope.