The number 18 carries a special value in Hebrew. It is representative of the word “chai,” meaning “life.” You might know it as a symbol worn as a necklace by many Jews, or as the amount of money given as a Bar or Bat Mitzvah gift – actions meant to symbolize the blessing of long life. The number 18, therefore, has a connotation of blessing. This month Israeli citizens voted in elections for the 18th Knesset, the Israeli parliament. One can only hope that this Knesset, with help from the Obama administration, will live up to its name and make progress on the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.

Unless you’ve been holed up in cave for the past month, you’ve probably heard that this job recently got a lot harder. On December 27, Israel began an aerial bombardment of the Palestinian Hamas controlled Gaza Strip, the small area of land that Israel has blockaded since June 2007, after the terrorist group Hamas took power in democratic elections. The operation quickly escalated, and to make a long story short, 1300 Palestinians were killed as well as 13 Israelis. The conflict provoked outrage across the world, with much of the criticism directed at Israel’s military for an allegedly “disproportionate” response. The conflict has caused just about any political goodwill towards Israel that existed in the Arab world to dry up – and not that much existed to begin with.

That goodwill is incredibly important to the United States. We need Saudi and Egyptian help in pressuring Iran and Iraqi support to end our war there, Turkish support in ferrying vital supplies to NATO troops in Afghanistan, and of course, all of their help in keeping oil prices low. It is therefore critical that we are on good terms with these countries of the Middle East. Also, many Islamist terrorist groups play off the Israel-Palestine conflict to recruit new members and to gain popular support. For these two reasons, it is crucial that the US helps end this conflict.

Any chance we have of accomplishing anything depends on Israel making tough concessions. However, there is no way the Israeli government will be willing to make the compromises that it needs to except under pressure from Washington; the US is Israel’s main backer. Because of this, I propose four things that Washington must force Israel to do:

1. Halt funding for Israeli West Bank settlements
2. Dismantle all illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank
3. Lift all unnecessary check points in both Gaza and the West Bank
4. Lift the Gaza blockade

Proposals one, two, and three are self-explanatory. Proposal number four is where it gets interesting. As stated above, Israel has imposed a land and sea blockade of the Gaza Strip since 2007. This blockade has absolutely devastated the economy of Gaza, but has also been somewhat effective at weakening Hamas and preventing its military wing from arming. This makes the blockade an extremely powerful bargaining chip. For example, Hamas has held Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit hostage since early 2006; the blockade is almost sure to play a role in negotiations for his release. Israel can condition a lifting of the blockade on more serious concessions from Hamas.

Of course, true peace in Palestine is going to take years of slow, painful work. But that does not mean we cannot get the momentum going now. President Obama needs to show that, unlike our last president, he is concerned about the Israel-Palestine situation and will immediately intervene. Obama, Secretary of State Clinton, and Special Envoy George Mitchell must be forceful in their pressuring of Israel. The Israeli government, as well as the Israeli people, may be reluctant to take the necessary steps to achieve peace. However, if these steps are taken, it will only mean more security and prosperity for Israel in the long run.

If the United States and Israel don’t do what is necessary, it could be disastrous for the state of Israel, the dream of a Jewish homeland, and for US interests in the region. Remember, the number 18 has another special significance in Israel. Eighteen is also the age at which Israelis are automatically conscripted into the army.