For too long the search for Middle East peace has been plagued by overused and abused phrases that are associated with failure.

So if Barack Obama outlines his plans for peace this month, many people in the region will be closely listening to the wider strategy but even more closely to the specific words used to describe it. Expect a big yawn if the president promises another “peace process” buttressed by “confidence-building measures” and operating on several “tracks”. The so-called “peace process” is by far the worst offender in the lexicon of Middle East peace, having produced continuous process and no peace. Holding a “process” can be useful: it helps outsiders, and the parties themselves, perpetuate the illusion of progress. But it also makes it convenient to avoid the big decisions.