All reasonable people, Dershowitz argues, know what a final peace settlement will look like: two states, based on Israeli withdrawals from Gaza and most of the West Bank; a symbolic recognition by Israel of the rights of Palestinian refugees, with some compensation but no "right of return" etc..

To that end, Dershowitz identifies twelve geopolitical barriers to peace—and explains how to move around them and push the process forward. From the division of Jerusalem to the Iranian nuclear threat, his analyses are clear-headed, well-argued, and sure to be controversial. To cite just a few of his points:

• The "one-state" solution propounded by hard-line Palestinians and their allies on the left is an absolute nonstarter—a smoke screen for those who are enemies of peace.
• Palestinians cannot expect to get more West Bank land than they would have under the Camp David and Taba negotiations of 2000 and 2001; additional territorial concessions would be an implicit reward for Palestinian terrorism in the intervening years.
• A multinational force, including U.S. troops, may be necessary to respond to Palestinian terrorist provocations after a settlement is reached.