Extending an Olive Branch

President Bush met with the leaders of Israel and the Palestinian Authority, as well as delegations from 46 countries and international organizations, on Tuesday in Annapolis, Md. to continue a series of peace talks between the two conflicting countries.

The negotiations began on Monday, when Bush met separately with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

On Tuesday, the leaders set a time line for the resolution, which would lead the way for the creation of an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel:

The Israeli and Palestinian leaders committed themselves today to negotiate a peace treaty by the end of 2008, setting themselves a deadline for ending a conflict that has endured for six decades.

The document from the negotiations would include a formal announcement of the renewal of peace talks and would commit the two countries to resolve the conflicts which divide them.

Although Bush said he is optimistic about the resolution, some have expressed other opinions:

Stirring televised speeches from Annapolis on Tuesday about the need for peace had limited resonance among Israelis and Palestinians with memories of failed summits that led to more bloodshed. Though it was hardliners on both sides who came out against Tuesday's resolution by Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to renew negotiations, reservations were not far from the minds of moderates. "What we need is less talk and more action. Only history can judge whether this conference will bring peace," said Dedi Cohen, 32, a lawyer in Israel's coastal metropolis Tel Aviv.

The resolution faces resistance from the Islamic militant group, Hamas, which labeled Abbas a traitor for attending the meeting. The group leaders vowed to reject any decisions which come from the negotiations.

In Jerusalem on Monday, more than 20,000 Israelis protested against the talks. Protests continued into Tuesday. Violence also clouded the Middle East on Monday as Israeli forces killed four Palestinians in two separate incidents.

The peace talks also confronted skepticism closer to home:

Some in Bush's administration doubt that a settlement is possible in such a short time frame and have reservations about whether the Palestinians, in particular, are ready to make necessary concessions.

Others critics compared Bush to his predecessor, President Clinton, for negotiating peace talks at the eleventh hour. Some saw the peace talks as Bush's attempt to redeem himself after the Iraq war.

“The mother of all photo ops,” an Israeli official called it on Monday, underscoring the fact that when it comes to Middle East peace, skepticism is always in order.

Amen.