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Three years after Oct. 7, 2023, the prospects for meaningful Israeli-Palestinian diplomatic progress appear worse than ever. Israelis look at the way Hamas celebrated killing innocents and brutalizing hostages and conclude that they could never be safe alongside an independent Palestinian state. Palestinians look at many Israelis’ indifference to their deaths and continued suffering in Gaza and are equally convinced that Israel will never accept their independence or let them live with security and dignity.

Peacemaking in such an environment seems hopeless—and hopelessness provides fertile ground for the extremists to promote violence, claiming the conflict can only end with the destruction of the other side. Which is why, as daunting as the current environment is, it is more important than ever to show that practical, positive changes are possible.

Three years after Oct. 7, 2023, the prospects for meaningful Israeli-Palestinian diplomatic progress appear worse than ever. Israelis look at the way Hamas celebrated killing innocents and brutalizing hostages and conclude that they could never be safe alongside an independent Palestinian state. Palestinians look at many Israelis’ indifference to their deaths and continued suffering in Gaza and are equally convinced that Israel will never accept their independence or let them live with security and dignity.

Peacemaking in such an environment seems hopeless—and hopelessness provides fertile ground for the extremists to promote violence, claiming the conflict can only end with the destruction of the other side. Which is why, as daunting as the current environment is, it is more important than ever to show that practical, positive changes are possible.

First, it is important to recognize that actual cooperation is taking place between Israelis and Palestinians even now, for example, in managing the sewage problem in Gaza. Sewage from Gaza flows directly........

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