In Northern Ireland recently, I was shocked by the number of people there who asked me, “Do you realize the U.S. is in the early stages of its own ‘troubles’?” “The Troubles” — Northern Ireland’s three decades (1969-1998) of violent ethno-religious conflict — killed thousands and injured many more.

LONDON (AP) — As Israelis and Palestinians wait anxiously to see what comes after a ceasefire in the two-year war in Gaza, the experience of the Northern Ireland peace process in the 1990s may offer lessons in the thorny process of moving from seemingly intractable conflict to enduring peace.

NORTHERN IRELAND was created in 1921. Its six counties remained in the United Kingdom when the rest of Ireland became independent. For decades its Protestant majority dominated Northern Ireland’s politics and discriminated against their Catholic neighbours.

Michelle O’Neill was never supposed to be here. When the Northern Ireland Assembly was established following the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, which ended 30 years of sectarian bloodshed known as “The Troubles,” it established a delicate system of ...