Does Trump have skills to handle Israeli-Palestinian issue?

It's a stunning testament to the durability of the all but forgotten Israeli-Palestinian peace process that it made a brief appearance during this week's Republican presidential candidate debate in Miami.

The proximate cause was a question about what has now become Donald Trump's standard talking point -- quite unusual for either a Republican or Democrat during an election year -- that he'd remain "neutral" on the Israeli-Palestinian issue.

So what's the dump on Trump when it comes to Israel? And what are the odds that any of the candidates, particularly the likely party nominees at this point -- Hillary Clinton and Trump -- might actually be able to do an Israeli-Palestinian deal should they find themselves in the White House come January 2017?

First, the easy part. In presidential election campaigns it's pretty much standard operating procedure for candidates -- whatever their personal views -- to compete for the title of who loves Israel the most. And given the dysfunctional relationship between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Barack Obama, as well as the Iran nuclear deal, this pro-Israeli bidding war is in full swing.

Republican Sen. Marco Rubio, for example, has taken to referring to the West Bank and Gaza as Judea and Samaria -- the term used by Israeli settlers and the right. Meanwhile, Ted Cruz, among others, has promised to tear up the Iran deal and move the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

On the Democratic side, Clinton has pledged to take the U.S.-Israeli relationship to the "next level" and promised to invite Netanyahu to Washington during her first month in office. Bernie Sanders has for his part said little on the issue during the campaign. And although he has expressed consistently pro-Israeli views in Congress, as a progressive and liberal he has also been very critical of Israel's treatment of Palestinians. Indeed, speaking this week in Dearborn, Michigan -- an area with a heavy concentration of Arab-Americans -- Sanders expressed the hope that we could have a "level playing field" on the issue.

Still, the prize for the most unusual set of views, particularly for a Republican candidate in a field of pro-Israeli hawks, goes to Mr. Trump. He's clearly done his fair share of obligatory and heartfelt nods to the pro-Israeli community over the years.

For example, Trump proudly refers to his role as grand marshal in the New York City Israel Day parade; he did a campaign video for Netanyahu in 2013; during the Miami debate he proudly referred to the fact that his daughter and son-in-law are Jewish; and he has said repeatedly that he'd be the best candidate on Israel among the Republican field.