Should talks collapse, as is likely, US must have an interim solution ready
On the surface it looks good. President Barack Obama has organised a political gathering that brought together not only Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, but also Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and King Abdullah of Jordan.
The participation of Jordan and Egypt is important as the two countries were designated in the Arab Summit in Beirut in 2002 to negotiate with Israel on behalf of the Arab states.
Their presence in Washington at the first round of talk shows the Arab world is not only interested in seeing peace between Israel and Palestine but between the Jewish state and the Arab countries as well.
But then again, this is the Middle East. Lasting peace requires much more than Washington's desire or the participation of political bigwigs from the region. Let's hope it is more than just an event to satisfy Obama's desire. The interests of the Palestinians and the Israelis must be at the core.
Naturally, there are spoilers out there on both sides who want the talks to fail.
Scepticism is ripe for good reasons, however, as the fundamentals are not there. Netanyahu is holding together a right-wing coalition that is unwilling to make any real concession, such as a freeze of settlement in occupied territory.
Abbas, on the other hand, does not have full control of the Palestinian territories because Gaza is under the control of the opposition Hamas.
Given his track record, few think Netanyahu can rise above the issue and come up with the needed moral courage and foresight to make the kind of concession needed to bring about a permanent peace.
What appears to be lacking is some serious creativity. For decades, the entire world talked about two separate states, one for the Jews and one for the Palestinians.
But in reality, with the occupation and all, not to mention some 500,000 Jewish settlers in East Jerusalem and the West Bank, the situation on the ground looks more a de facto one state with the Jewish people being the colonial masters and the Palestinians the subjects.
Israeli leaders Ehud Olmert and Ehud Barak have admitted the reality on the ground looks more and more like apartheid.
Moreover, the blockade of Gaza has pushed the Palestinians there deeper into poverty, while the fate of the refugees forced out of their homes over sixty years ago is as uncertain as ever.
An apartheid system would work if the Palestinians were willing to accept permanent subordination to the Israeli Jews - because the system permits privileges based on ethnicity rather than the principle of equal rights. Obviously, they are not.
There is a grave concern that violence could erupt if the negotiations fail, which could very well be the case. Therefore negotiation is more problematic than no negotiation at all.
Knowing that a comprehensive peace may not be possible given the existing conditions on the ground, perhaps the US should change the game and push for a partial or interim solution.
Anything reached under this context of understanding could serve as the basis for future talks on a different topic- be it water, movement of people, or just basic rights that the Israelis enjoy but deny the Palestinians.