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Source: http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0201/p02s02-wome.htm
Is Now the Time to Talk Peace in the Mideast?
[Christian Science Monitor] Howard LaFranchi - The Quartet of powers seeking to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict ends a hiatus in peacemaking efforts with a meeting in Washington on Friday. But it comes at what would seem to be a particularly unpromising moment as rival Palestinian factions battle each other in Gaza. "Nothing has changed over recent weeks or months to suggest any hopes for a major breakthrough, so I can't see that [the calling of the Quartet meeting] has anything to do with improved prospects," says Bernard Reich, a Middle East expert at George Washington University. Secretary Rice and other U.S. officials speak of a new willingness of Sunni Arab regimes - increasingly alarmed by Shiite Iran's growing clout in the region - to work together and with Israel to push the peace process forward. However, while the scenario of Sunni Arabs teaming up with Israel over Iran may be what Rice considers "logical," it is not what Sunni regimes are ready for, says Reich.