Reviving the Road Map

It appears as though this years round of Israeli-Palestinian disappointment (peace) talks will be held in November at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD.

If you were thinking that this round can't possibly match the disappointment of the 2000 round at Camp David, consider the fact that the actors involved in these talks are far more incompetent, and in far worse positions than their predecessors.

In the left corner, we have embattled Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert, whose continued ability to stay in power in Jerusalem now borders on mind boggling. Maybe he never really had a chance. He hasn't ever been able to truly step out of the shadow of his predecessor, the legendary and controversial Ariel Sharon. On top of that, he's still haunted by the debacle in Lebanon last summer and his failure to stake out any discernible governing philosophy.

In the right corner, there's Mahmoud Abbas, the man who so many of us pinned our Mideast peace hopes on as recently as two years ago. Unfortunately those two years haven't gone so well for Mr. Abbas. He too has failed to step into the large shoes of his predecessor, and that's pretty much the good news for Abbas. He's managed to lose more than ideological ground to rival Islamist factions in Palestine, he's actually lost Palestine, or a sizable portion of it at least.

Then of course there's the referee in the middle. Remember that tough talking professor from Stanford that Dick Morris claimed was going to challenge Hillary in a 2008 political cat fight. Yes, Condi Rice is still around, and she's the latest American diplomat to be stuck in the middle of this mess. She been a faithful member of the Bush team since the beginning, which should, and probably does, disqualify her from making a serious run in 2008. Nevertheless she, like her boss, has a legacy to salvage, and she's as in need of a victory as much as anyone. If nothing else, it would give her something to talk about on the lecture circuit for a while before she slips back into the anonymity of academia.

It would seem that the stage is just about set for the most anti-climatic moment yet in the never ending series of Israeli-Palestinian peace talks. On the other hand, if so many competent people can fail, maybe three mediocre leaders is exactly what they need to make peace.

Never underestimate the power of desperation. With those three it the room, it might be the only thing they have in common.