The Middle East: can the U.S. deliver peace? with a push from President Bush, Israel and the Palestinians have committed to finalizing a peace treaty this year.

• Author: Stolberg, Sheryl Gay
• Position: INTERNATIONAL

I'M ONLY A PHONE CALL AWAY," PRESIDENT George W. Bush told the Israeli and Palestinian leaders during a November peace conference in Annapolis, Maryland, at which they set the ambitious goal of negotiating a Middle East m peace treaty by the end of 2008.

But when Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas joined him in the White House Rose Garden before going their separate ways, Bush had a slightly different message for the pair: "I wish you all the best," he said--a send-off that did not exactly give the impression he was eager to pick up the phone.

The Annapolis peace conference thrust Bush front and center into a role he never wanted to play--that of Middle East peace broker.

The question now is how Bush will play it. Will he keep his distance and simply give the parties encouragement to work it out themselves? Or will he be bitten by the bug that has led other American Presidents to wonder if, just maybe, they could go down in history as the man who brought peace to the Middle East?

Forty-nine countries came to Annapolis, which marked Bush's first real effort at Mideast peacemaking since he took office. The major players were Israel, the Palestinians, the U.S., Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and Syria.

Others were notably absent: Iran, Iraq, and the militant Islamic factions Hamas and Hezbollah. (One thing most Arab nations and Israel agree on is a fear of Iran, with its militant agenda, nuclear ambitions, and allies in Lebanon, Iraq, and the Palestinian territories.)

KEY ISSUES

With the exception of Egypt and Jordan, which have signed peace treaties with Israel, the Arab states do not recognize Israel, though they have said they would do so as part of a comprehensive peace agreement.

Major issues between Israel and the Palestinians include the borders of a Palestinian state in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip; Israeli settlements on the West Bank; Palestinian refugees; and the status of Jerusalem. Complicating matters is the situation in Gaza, from which Israel withdrew in 2005. It is now under the control of Hamas, not President Abbas and the Palestinian Authority.

The key issue between Israel and Syria is the return of the remainder of the Golan Heights, which Israel captured in the Six Day War in 1967.

Foreign-policy experts say that if the Palestinians and Israelis are to settle their differences, it will take substantial involvement on the part of whoever occupies the White House.

Recent U.S...