Meanwhile, In Ummm, Maryland...

Pessimistic me doesn't believe this will fare better than previous such attempts (it's been 13 years since Rabin, Peres, and Arafat won a Peace Prize for the Oslo Accords), but a return to negotiation is better than fighting.

From the AP: 'Sealing their pledge with an awkward handshake, Israeli and Palestinian leaders resolved Tuesday to immediately restart moribund peace talks... Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, troubled leaders with fragile mandates for peace, told international backers and skeptical Arab neighbors that they are ready for hard bargaining toward an independent Palestinian homeland, a deal that has long eluded Mideast leaders and American presidents.' Said our President, "This is the beginning of the process, not the end of it." Indeed.