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Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/27/opinion/27indyk.html
For Once, Hope in the Middle East
(New York Times) Martin Indyk - Now that President Obama has finally succeeded in bringing the Israelis and the Palestinians back to the negotiating table, the commentariat is already dismissing his chances of reaching a peace agreement. But there are factors that distinguish these direct talks from previous attempts - factors that offer some reason for optimism. Violence is down considerably. Today, the PA is policing its West Bank territory to prevent violent attacks on Israelis and to prove its reliability as a negotiating partner. Hamas - mainly out of fear of an Israeli intervention that might remove it from power - is doing the same in Gaza. The simple truth is that most people in the Middle East are exhausted by this conflict, and if Mr. Netanyahu and Mr. Abbas can reach a viable agreement, the public on all sides will likely support it. The writer, director of the foreign policy program at the Brookings Institution, was the U.S. ambassador to Israel during the Clinton administration.