(CNN) -- Even back in the days when you could still use the term "peace process" with a straight face, the odds of solving the Jerusalem issue were already pretty long. Then, I would have put those odds a bit north of impossible and a little south of hopeless. Things are even worse now. I remember day eight of the Camp David summit in July 2000, when discussion turned to Jerusalem. That day, it was clear to me that as far Camp David was concerned, it was game over. There were some intriguing moves on Israel's part, but nothing that could have settled the issue. Indeed, Ehud Barak, Yasser Arafat and Bill Clinton could have fallen into the yawning gaps that separated Israelis and Palestinians on this issue and never have been heard from again.
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Aaron David Miller: Jerusalem is a perfect storm of complexity
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Relative quiet a testament to pragmatism on both sides, Miller says
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History of city filled with claims, conquests and occupations, he says
No deal, even though we were dealing with Israelis (Barak) and Palestinians (@placeholder) who were far more willing and able to do something if the terms were right.