Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Syrian President Bashar Assad (AP)
The truth is that the differences between Barak and Olmert, and even between Barak and Peres, are more in the realm of style than when it comes to essence. While the prime minister lavished Rice with enthusiastic words about a document of principles and a Palestinian state, she did not succeed in moving even one checkpoint in the West Bank or in advancing the restoration of the West Bank’s cities to Palestinian security responsibility. First let them improve their security mechanisms and then we will see, Olmert and Barak told her, while Peres, an advocate of the Jordanian option, talked to her about the differences between the West Bank and Gaza. …
[Rice's] failures, according to her biographer, stem from inconsistency. She does not bother to ascertain that what has been decided on is actually being implemented, but advances to the next topic. This approach was the reason why she missed the opportunity of the "passages agreement," which she reached with Israel and the Palestinians. Now it will be interesting to see if she continues with her efforts to convene a peace conference and translate it into a genuine diplomatic process, or will make do with a media event. Access the full article>>