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Annapolis and a Dual-Track Peace Process

[Washington Institute for Near East Policy] David Makovsky - The character of the upcoming Middle East peace conference in Annapolis is changing in order to avert failure or an immediate Israeli-Palestinian crisis over core issues. Instead of the expected pre-conference declaration of final status, Annapolis will only mark the beginning of negotiations on these issues. In addition, the November conference will attempt to revive the moribund Quartet Roadmap laid out in 2003, with particular focus on the plan's first phase. But unlike the past, the parties have agreed to simultaneously negotiate the third, final-status phase while implementing the first phase. At the same time the Israelis are wary of sacrificing territorial cards with no concessions in return. The U.S. will be called on to simultaneously guide final-status talks and monitor implementation of the first phase, a task that will test the U.S. on how to measure compliance and how to enforce judgments. The new dual-track process will either instill confidence in both parties and stave off the ascendancy of Hamas, or simply serve as a way of parking the Israeli-Palestinian issue until the end of the Bush administration.
2007-11-09 01:00:00
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