Guide to the Perplexed – The Annapolis Peace Conference

< A must-read for any one who wants to understand the issues surrounding the upcoming peace conference!

Prepared by Ron Skolnik, Assistant Director, and the Staff of Meretz USA

During an address on the Middle East on July 16, US President George Bush issued a call for, “an international meeting … of representatives from nations that support a two-state solution” between Israel and Palestine. Bush’s announcement has produced a whirlwind of diplomatic activity, the likes of which have not been seen since the heady days of Camp David and Taba at the end of the Clinton Presidency. The print and electronic media have similarly been awash with countless stories that seek to stay abreast of the latest developments.

In the face of such an information overload, the following “Guide to the Perplexed” was conceived as a way of zeroing in on the key players and central questions pertinent to the upcoming conference, which is scheduled to take place later this fall. Cutting through the public posturing, disinformation and diplomatic fog that are part and parcel of any Middle Eastern negotiation, this “Guide” will help distinguish between what we know for sure and the various rumors that are circulating in both the press and blogosphere.

Click here to read the analysis in full.