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A Hard Path to Mideast Peace

Tensions in the Middle East reached the boiling point yet again last week, after a series of violent attacks rocked the Gaza Strip, a hotly disputed piece of land on the Mediterranean Sea.

The conflict between Israelis and Palestinians has been long and violent. Talks aimed at creating a lasting peace treaty restarted in November 2007, after a seven-year standoff. But last week, Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas stopped the negotiations. He halted the talks to protest assaults by Israel's military that killed more than 120 Palestinians. Israel launched the attacks in retaliation for increased Palestinian rocket fire.

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice visited the region to try to start the peace talks again. She spoke with officials in Egypt, Israel and the Palestinian territories. By last Wednesday, Abbas had agreed to return to the negotiating table. "We have the intention of resuming the peace process," he said.

In Washington, President George W. Bush met with Jordan's King Abdullah II to talk about the path to peace. Despite the setback, Bush wants an agreement before the end of 2008. "Ten months is plenty of time to get a deal done," he said. He hopes to see peace in the Middle East before he leaves office. Other Presidents have hoped for the same.

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