Annapolis Peace Talks

The Annapolis peace summit, held on the invitation of US President George W. Bush, "can be seen as a break-though that after a long period of one-sided steps and coincidental contact," wrote Volksrant on Thursday, Nov. 29, from The Hague.

However, "it's very important that the Americans […] keep the pressure down," the Dutch paper continued. "It's the Israelis and the Palestinians that have to make peace."

Switzerland's Zürich-based Neue Zürcher Zeitung disagreed that the summit, which took place on Tuesday and Wednesday, could be called a "break-though." "But it can still be considered progress," the paper conceded. "It's more than the pessimists predicted before the Annapolis summit. […] If Olmert sticks to the path set in Annapolis, he has a good chance of gaining political capital and new respect from the shaken, wavering Israeli public. The same would be true for Palestinian President Abbas."

The Repubblica in Rome agreed: "If the unpopular politicians Ehud Olmert and Mahmud Abbas really manage in 2008, together with the 'lame duck' George W. Bush in the White House, to redraw the map of the Middle East -- namely, with lasting peace -- then their people would certainly respond positively."

Paris' Le Monde was more skeptical, emphasizing the "weakness" and "incredibility" of both Olmert and Abbas.

"The division of the Palestinian territories in the Gaza Strip -- which is controlled by Hamas -- and the West Bank -- where, theoretically, Abbas' Fatah has administrative power -- is a burden on the beginning of a peace process," commented the French paper. "And in Israel the coalition won't hold out for long once the negotiations start getting serious. The 'peace camp' in Israel disappeared long ago."

The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung opined that "of all the problems in the region, the Middle East conflict seems to be, relatively speaking, the most likely to be resolved. Here there are partners, and majorities among the Israelis and Palestinians that are for peace and democracy. […] At least Olmert and Abbas speak the same language."

Nevertheless, the paper questioned the feasibility of the new plan to establish peace at the end of 2008: "Why should in 12 months that be possible which hasn't happened in the seven years since Camp David, 14 years since Oslo and 16 years since the peace conference in Madrid?"

"American pressure alone won't do it," the German daily concluded.