New imperatives for Israeli-Palestinian peace

The best hope for Israeli-Palestinian peace lies in the 'Road Map', a peace plan put forward by the so-called Quartet, which is composed of the United States, the United Nations, the European Union and Russia. The Road Map calls for a commitment to a two-state solution, not only from the parties to the conflict but also from international actors. The key to the success or failure of the new plan lies in the degree of third-party involvement in advancing the implementation of the agreement and in monitoring and verifying it. In practical terms, the success of this endeavour will depend on constructive and bold US policy. US policy in forcing regime-change in Iraq was risky; a reversion now to risk-averse realism with respect to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict would be fatal to the prospects of resolving it.