In a symbolic joint appearance on Tuesday, the Israeli Prime Minister and his Palestinian opposite number signalled their determination to press ahead with the peace plan known as the roadmap.
Israeli troops pulled out of Bethlehem on Wednesday and handed control of the town to the Palestinian security forces. Earlier this week, Israeli forces withdrew from most of the Gaza Strip.
And on Sunday, the main Palestinian militant groups announced that they would observe a conditional truce.
Do these moves give real cause for hope? Are the Israelis and Palestinians finally turning the corner towards peace?
This debate is now closed. Read a selection of your comments below
The following comments reflect the balance of views we have received:
We don't need the Americans and their "roadmap" for peace. The roadmap already exists, and that is the countless UN resolutions (most notably 242 and 338) that Israel, with the support of the Western powers, has repeatedly ignored.
Montasser, Sweden
A peace process will not bring peace. Only after ending the occupation can peace start.
Paul, UK
No, think of all the treaties that have been signed,
none have worked. There will be no peace in this
part of the world until the people on both sides
teach their children not to hate the other; if not
love then at least tolerance.
Gladys Brock,
USA
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It is up to the Palestinians now
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Barry from Brazil hit the nail on the head. The roadmap is providing the Palestinians the same deal they've been offered for decades. This should be their last chance. It's up to Abbas to finally ring in peace for his people. Arafat and his cronies have put the Palestinian people through much suffering. It is up to the Palestinians now, to decide if a Palestinian state is something they really desire. If it is, then stop the terror.
Jason, USA
Israel has proved to be a reliable partner in reaching peace with its neighbours as history shows. The question is whether the Palestinians are ready this time. They had this option since 1947.
Barry, Brazil
To Jason and Barry: To this day, Israel has never formally recognized the right of the Palestinians to their own state, nor has it admitted fault for dispossessing the Palestinians in 1948 and 1967. Meanwhile the PA and the Arab League have officially recognized Israel. If Israel is really serious about peace like you say, it should offer the Palestinians a genuine sovereign state, not a satellite state.
Peter, Toronto
It's easy to forget that Israel has broken every previous cease-fire on the flimsiest pretext and the much-vaunted Camp David accord, that Arafat is accused of walking away from, offered Palestinians a "state" divided into approximately 200 easily "managed" enclaves overseen by a continuing IDF presence. It was Israel that walked away - the elections came up. Much more important than peace, eh?
Neil,
Australia
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There will be no peace in the Middle East
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It's almost a fact that there will be no peace in the Middle East anytime in the near future. Israel has never accepted the Palestinians right to statehood or to return to their original homes in what is now Israel proper.
John, Canada
I think that the Palestinians can eventually control Hamas but, the Israelis will never be willing to relinquish sufficient land or water sources to gain a lasting peace.
Ron Cunningham, USA
I believe there will never be peace unless the people come to terms with it. I mean, sure you can have a written treaty, but will that really stop the actions of suicidal bombers?
Ania, Pennsylvania, USA
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Soldiers, bullets and violence have never solved anything, anywhere
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Living in a state of subjugation is perhaps worse than death itself. Both the Israelis and Palestinians deserve peace. This will only be possible if the agreement is seen as fair and equitable to all parties. Soldiers, bullets and violence have never solved anything, anywhere. Here is hoping that common sense and peace prevails.
Arif Sayed, Dubai, UAE
To Arif Sayed, Dubai, UAE: Bullets and soldiers have solved many problems. Nazism and the fall of Communism were both "solved" by the use or threat of force. There are many more instances.
Craig Breedon, US ex UK
The Palestinian terrorists have attempted to sabotage the peace process from the outset. I just hope this doesn't derail the only sensible way forward and the only way that lives will not be unnecessarily lost.
Ben,
UK
If the Israelis really want peace, then all UN resolutions must be accepted. If the Americans want to help, let them force Israel to accept the resolutions.
Kifah,
Sweden
Even now, this very day, Israel is expropriating Palestinian land north of Jerusalem with the clear intent of ethnically cleansing the Palestinians from this land.
David Gibbs, Canada
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Recent history makes the likelihood of success remote
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Recent history makes the likelihood of success remote.
However, many more unlikely things have been accomplished when life is desperate and threatening. I can only pray for success.
Leo Wilson, USA
A stumbling block may well be the inflammatory anti-Israel language still expounded by much of the Arab media. If Israel encouraged such hatred against its neighbours it would be roundly condemned.
LP, England
To LP, England: Israel engages in far more derogatory and inflammatory anti Arab and anti Muslim rhetoric than the Arab media do. You don't have to look far to find it. The fact that it is not condemned says a lot about how racist and hypocritical the West is.
Ahmed, Egypt
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The so called 'moderates' of Fatah are still playing games
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I do not yet believe that the Palestinian leadership is genuine about peace. The Al Aqsa Martyrs' Brigade has very strong links to Fatah, and Yasser Arafat and it is the only large militant organisation that Fatah has not persuaded to agree to a ceasefire. This does not make sense, since Al Aqsa should be the most easily persuaded to join Fatah in a ceasefire. I think this shows that the so called 'moderates' of Fatah are still playing games by telling the international community one thing, yet telling their people another via their militant wing.
Sebastian, Oxford, England
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Israel wants peace and is willing to compromise
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There will be no peace until the Palestinians and all the Arabs accept Israel. Israel wants peace and is willing to compromise (they accepted a Palestinian state at their birth in 1948 after all). Israel is the only democracy in the region - perhaps that is the true issue. Only when there is mutual acceptance, will there be peace. Right now, it is one-sided. One is only pro-peace if one is pro-Palestinian and pro-Israel.
Joe, US
If Israel is serious about peace then it should start by taking note of all the UN resolutions it has ignored over the years. Look what happens to other countries when they try to thumb their noses at the UN mandates.
Audrey, US
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If they want peace bad enough, they will have it
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Everybody has their opinions regarding this topic, including myself. Really, though, the opinions that matter are those of Israelis and Palestinians. If they want peace bad enough, they will have it. If they want body bags and funerals, they will have those.
Benjamin, USA
There will be peace only when the Arab world understands that Israel has a right to exist. They must understand that Israel will stay forever.
Arnold Toften, Germany
It would be sensible to try and sound optimistic but I would only be pretending. With Israel having already created so many illegal settlements, I don't think that they are willing to now suddenly give them all up. They will only become more aggressive and so will the Palestinian resistance. What we need is a community where Jews, Christians and Muslims, can enjoy the holy land together, after all it's sacred to all three religions. Only then will there be any chance for peace.
Stella Emmett, Swansea, UK
Every journey starts with a single step and both the Israelis and Palestinians have taken that step. Now, the big question is how clear the road ahead is and who's willing to move aside any obstacles that make it impassable. Will it be peace or hatred? My money's on peace...eventually.
Marcella, USA
Until the USA makes further US aid to Israel conditional on the withdrawal of all forces to the 1967 borders, there will be no lasting peace.
Michael, USA
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The Palestinian leadership is finally showing a genuine desire to co-exist alongside Israel
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The only reason the process is thankfully moving forward is that the Palestinian leadership is finally showing a genuine desire to co-exist alongside Israel. If only the leadership can now undo the poisonous hatred spread through the past few generations.
Freddy, London, UK
I think that everyone would agree that only security in both Israel and Palestine will guarantee long-lasting peace. That means the Israelis should give back the land occupied after 1967, including east Jerusalem, and the Palestinians should give up the right of return into the pre-1967 borders.
Moshe,
London, UK
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The peace process cannot succeed without sustained American pressure upon Israel
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The peace process cannot succeed without sustained American pressure upon Israel. As soon as Bush's attention is diverted by the forthcoming US elections, Sharon will do his usual trick, and destroy the ceasefire.
Jon E, France
Yes, I think this will be George W. Bush's legacy. If he pulls this off, he will definitely get a second term even if the economy is sour. I realise most of the rest of the world considers Iraq a huge failure, but, if he pulls off "the roadmap to peace" all that will be forgiven. Maybe he is actually a good President. Who knows?
Mr Sandy Clark, USA
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The Palestinians have to deal with their own terrorists
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To everyone who has raised the issue of US aid to Israel. Do you know that the second largest recipient of US aid is Egypt, an Arab country?
As for the road map: The Palestinians have to deal with their own terrorists. It does not mean killing them all. It means disarming them. Israel had its own terrorists and it dealt with them.
Yury,
USA
The only road to lasting peace is effective, sufficiently strong, enforcement. Israel's military and intelligence capabilities have not proven adequate to the task of preventing attacks upon Israel by terrorists. The dangers will increase, not decrease, as borders shrink, and buffers are reduced. We might even consider whether peace negotiations are a militant ploy to gain ground in preparation for renewed attacks. Until it is proven otherwise, we do not really know and cautious optimism needs to be accompanied by military and intelligence assistance to a besieged Israel.
Robert Morpheal,
Canada
I think similar doubt existed whether peace could be reached between Israel and Egypt at the time, but peace did come about.
Brian, USA
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Violence will continue until the two sides see each other as human beings
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I pray for peace in the region. I have Israeli and Palestinian friends who are teenagers, living in fear and frustration in the Middle East. I attended the Seeds of Peace Camp, and heard their voices and stories. They are tired of living with violence - violence that will continue until the two sides see each other as human beings and work for peace together.
Rachel,
USA
Yes, hopefully 'peace is back on track' but we must still have a more balanced view of the whole conflict. We need to understand that there is state-terrorism as well as the private form of terrorism. We also must stop scapegoating Yasser Arafat for the actions of the militants. It is often said that the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade is linked to 'Yasser Arafat's Fatah' but it is also Abu Mazen's Fatah.
James, UK
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The US needs to keep the pressure on the Israeli government
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To start the peace process is a very important step. However, the US needs to keep the pressure on the Israeli government to come to the negotiating table. Israel has to withdraw from West Bank and Gaza strip and dismantle the illegal colonies (settlements) built on the occupied territories. These are the safeguards to an everlasting peace.
Zack, USA
There will never be lasting peace in that region because the Palestinians main aim is the total destruction of Israel (in common with the rest of the Islamic world). Any cessation of violence by the Palestinian militants will only ever be for strategic reasons. By the way, the British liberal media is heavily biased in favour of the Palestinians not the Israelis, as many seem to believe.
Neville, Great Britain
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Hamas and other groups have not changed their minds about destroying Israel
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The stated aim of groups such as Hamas is the destruction of Israel and its replacement by a Palestinian state. Whilst many of the comments on this page blame Israel for various acts and for hindering the peace process, they have at least signed up to a process that will establish a viable Palestinian state. Hamas and other groups have not changed their minds about destroying Israel. Who is the obstacle to peace now?
James, London, UK
Condoleezza Rice or any one else for that matter cannot make any difference as long as the basic issues of occupation, settlement activities by the Israelis, the right of the refugees to return home and the question of Jerusalem are not addressed in a manner acceptable to the people of the region!
Srinivasan Toft, Denmark
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Most Palestinians see Hamas and other similar groups as their legitimate army
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The problem is that most Palestinians see Hamas and other similar groups as their legitimate army, defending their interests in the face of terrible destruction perpetrated by the overwhelming Israeli Army. Israel should have the courage to recognise this but I fear they will not as their objective is the denial of a Palestinian state on the land of Gaza and the West Bank. Their intention is that the world should recognise Jordan as the Palestinian state.
Tony, Netherlands
There's more hope now but, until the goal to work to is viable Palestinian and Israeli states, it will be just that, only hope. The US has the might to gain everyone's attention but has it the foresight to plan ahead for that goal, the insight to understand the aspirations of the people and the hindsight to learn from past mistakes in the region?
John M, Lyne Meads, UK
I am a 13 year old Jewish girl so obviously I agree with Israel. But now I think they should just settle for what they have got. I think they should just make peace since they are neighbouring countries.
Cleo,
England
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The success of the roadmap will be dependent on basic morality
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In response to Cleo: Judaism does not demand an unequivocal acceptance of Israeli policy towards the Palestinians. The success of the roadmap will be dependent on basic morality.
Ash,
UK
One can only wonder what people have to hide when they refuse to let international peace keepers in? What are they afraid that they might find?
James Clarke, UK
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The situation is better than it's been in 33 months and people lives are being saved right now
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Yes, the U.S. is highly biased towards Israel, yes the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade didn't agree to the three month cease-fire, and yes the roadmap will never work if it tries to dismantle Hammas entirely since a majority of Palestinians believe in it more than they do in Mr Abbas. There are many hurdles to overcome, but Hammas, Fattah, and Islamic Jihad have just signed a three month cease-fire and Israeli troops have just pulled out of Gaza. The situation is better than it's been in 33 months and people lives are being saved right now. That's positive.
Bob,
USA
No, sharon is buying time. After all, he needs six months for Bush to get busy with the next election. Israel will go back to the its old tricks.
Haz, US
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No "peace plan" will work until there is justice
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No "peace plan" will work until there is justice. It seems that ethnic cleansing is not acceptable anywhere except in Israel/Palestine. Integration with equal rights is never on the negotiating table. Yet the world wants the Palestinians to negotiate the rights given to them by the Geneva Convention, such as the return of refugees. It's as if there's one set of international laws for the Palestinians and another for everyone else.
Sabile Fityani, Canada
Why is it always that we hear that there can never be peace because the USA sides with Israel? For one thing, Israel is a democratic country and the USA should rightfully side with her. Israel does make mistakes, but nothing to warrant the US turning its back on her. Why not condemn Arabia or the handful of other Muslim countries that side with the Palestinians not because of a sense of right and wrong, but out of hatred of Israel?
Mike M., USA
Because, Mike M, USA, you send $3bn worth of military aid to the country. Does that sound like it's intended to promote peace? Would you be willing to have an arbitrator that armed your enemy to the teeth?
Mat, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
To Mat, Amsterdam: If Israel weren't constantly threatened to be "pushed into the sea," by her neighbours, the US wouldn't need to give Israel so much help in defending herself. Israel must be well armed. Anybody with knowledge of the geo-political realities of the Middle East knows this.
Shawn, Washington, DC, USA
To Mike M, USA: You say that the USA must support Israel because it is a "democracy"? I'm sorry but Israel is certainly no Sweden! The Palestinians and other Arabs have every right in the world to fight back against the Israelis, and even to not recognise the existence of state of Israel. True peace will only when the rest of the world, including America, recognises this and forces Israel to agree to a settlement.
James Steel, UK
All I can do is hope it succeeds, but I will not hold my breath.
Jan, USA
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A just and fair settlement has to be found
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I have been travelling in Malaysia for the last two weeks. Malaysia is a moderate and tolerant Muslim country. During my trip I was struck by the degree of suspicion and anger towards the US and European foreign policy in general, especially concerning Israel. If the West in general is going to regain some of the trust and respect that it has lost due to the invasion of Iraq, a just and fair settlement has to be found. Whether this is achievable in the current environment is open to debate. However, any movement towards a cessation of violence and a return to a negotiated peace has to be welcomed, for all our sakes.
Richard,
UK
We all know that Israel doesn't want the Palestinians to have their own state. Israel desperately wants the whole of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank; they are just trying to appease the US by going along with it at the moment. All we ever see on the media is the suicide bombings - we don't see the destruction and annihilation carried out by the Israelis in the occupied territories. The media is biased towards Israel and always has been.
Nadia, UK
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Saying Hamas must be destroyed is not the way forward for peace
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Those who are advocating the destruction of Hamas and other militant groups fighting Israeli occupation are ignoring the ambition of some hardline Israelis who would like to increase settlement activity and keep the Palestinians under the grip of Israeli troops. Some are hell bent on creating a Greater Israel. Saying Hamas must be destroyed is not the way forward for peace.
YK, UK
To achieve peace both sides need to make some sacrifices, and more than that the US should play an impartial role. As long as the leaders of Palestine cannot control the militant groups, Hamas and Islamic Jihad, achieving peace is an impossible dream.
Albert P'Rayan,
Rwanda
Peace in the Middle East can never be achieved until and unless justice is done. Presently the US is clearly siding with Israel. Bad intentions can never produce good results- as simple as that.
Khalil ur-Rahman, Pakistan
For the roadmap to work, you have to take each step at a time. The Israeli withdrawal is a good start as is the ceasefire from the Palestinian groups. The pressure has to be kept up, and giving up is not an option. Removing the settlements from Gaza & W Bank is another task to tackle.
Peter Hutchison, UK
However earnest Ms. Rice's intentions may be, she is unlikely to achieve more than cosmetic successes. The problem is intractable, as long as the Palestinian agenda is controlled by more than a half dozen militant groups, each vying with each other to gain the support of the "Arab street" by being more radical and violent in their terrorist acts than the other groups. The Israeli government is able to agree to and implement a policy within a couple of hours. It's just the opposite for the Palestinian side, where it takes weeks to cajole just three of the militant organisations to agree to a shaky ceasefire.
David, Milwaukee, WI, USA
Unless there is a complete and total destruction of Hummas, Islamic Jihad, and others there is no chance for peace at all
JT, USofA
Under the US? You must be joking.
Tahir Nawab Ghaznavi,
USA
I think Israeli government has to do more than just criticise the Palestine Authority. They should stop building illegal settlements and stop the terrorism against the innocent Palestinian people.
Sammy, UK
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The US involvement is simply an additional ingredient in this disastrous "road to hell" recipe
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The road map was never "on track" to begin with, since the ideas are based on the Tenet Plan and the Mitchell Report, which had miserably failed. The US involvement is simply an additional ingredient in this disastrous "road to hell" recipe. When the mediator only "regrets" the violence against the Palestinians and "harshly condemns" it against the Israelis, we would be blind to think that this is working.
Ayako Eda,
Japan
Ms Rice grew up in the days when black civil rights demonstrators had to face the likes of "Bull" Connor in the southern states.
Hopefully, she sees things in the Middle East as they really are. If Ms Rice helps keep Israel at the table then she will have earned my respect - and the gratitude of many.
Richard Haut, Nice, France
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US-Israeli relations during the next few months will be interesting to observe
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As expected, Bush has talked himself and the Israelis into a corner. The Americans have no choice but to make it work, no matter what it takes. US-Israeli relations during the next few months will be interesting to observe.
Jim Fraser,
UK
I don't really care about the "progress" reports any more regarding the Israelis and Palestinians. For years, I had my hopes up for peace in the region, but now, all I want is to see the roadmap actually get to the end goal.
Anthony, Chicago, IL, USA
This is the first positive development I have seen in my lifetime that gives me some hope for peace on that region. I pray and hope that different involved authorities will be able to capitalise on this.
Guna Subedi, US
Keep up the pressure and FOCUS! That's the only thing that works for this conflict! Otherwise, extremists on all sides will have their way.
Terry,
USA
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Foreign policy is increasingly dominated by sheer force
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One should try, but realistically, there are few chances for a settlement. Foreign policy is increasingly dominated by sheer force, and international legality plays a small role in it. How will the arguments for peace work on the current Israeli Government which has the military upper hand? And what arguments will this US administration use to convince it, when it has been the first to undermine international legality and the first to show that sheer force in the end prevails? But this bothers me less than the absence of the EU. Can't we exercise pressure too?
Geneletti,
Italy
Peace was there in Israel before Ariel Sharon came to power. As long as he is there peace will never last. One way or another he will see that it is broken, after he came to power Israelis have known a huge amount of bloodshed so this is just a cooling phase I suppose.
Anon
To "Anon": Peace had ended while Barak was prime minister and after he had offered Arafat 97% of the settlements in the West Bank and Gaza and East Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine. Arafat refused and two months later violence broke out. While Sharon might not be the best choice of prime minister, it is too easy to demonise him further and lump all the problems of the Middle East on him. It is not true to say there was peace before Sharon.
S Summers,
Brussels, Belgium
The liquidation of Hamas as the US Government has demanded is the only option. In order to create calm the Palestinians must understand there will be serious consequences for promoting the killing of innocent civilians. Perhaps the Palestinians will cease their aggression when they realise their support for terrorist acts will only destroy their own lives.
Matt,
USA
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Both sides attempting to hold fire should be hailed as positive
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When both sides are attempting to hold their fire this should be hailed as a positive step. Dooming the peace effort from the start is not going to become a magic command and render both sides happy and pacified. When the parties on both sides don't have to worry about gunships hunting them down or their bus being bombed that is a good thing. Yes, the peace effort is at least finding its track.
Jason Stevens, US
The Israelis have taken the lands of Palestinians and the US is backing them in taking more. To answer your question: There has to be a mediator that is not one sided leading this deal.
Sam, US
Achieving a truce is not the main goal but ending the Israeli occupation. If the US is really interested in solving the Middle East conflict, it must alter its policy and stop its bias toward Israel.
Mariannne Andrea, Nazareth
Here in Japan, Bush has come to be dismissed with the simple label "He loves war" and it's hard to find an argument to convince people otherwise. Wouldn't it be ironic if his administration were to become associated in some way with peace? It just doesn't fit somehow.
Philip Coristine, Japan
While everyone and their uncle is optimistic about this grand peace deal, the facts on the ground are snuffing out the possibility for peace. The 10-foot thick apartheid wall separating Israel from further annexed parts of the West Bank continues to be constructed, as well as settlements. It will be interesting to see where things are in 10 years, but I have little hope.
Blair McBride, Canada
After so many false starts it would be appropriate to remember the words of Golda Meir: "Pessimism is a luxury we cannot afford".
Richard Cohen, UK
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It makes no attempt to address the fundamental Palestinian grievance
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This process will lead nowhere because it makes no attempt to address the fundamental Palestinian grievance: Dispossession. There is only one real issue; the return of refugees to their homeland. If you don't address Israel's ethnic cleansing and apartheid nature, you don't address the conflict.
Benjamin Counsell, UK
To Benjamin Counsell: What about the 700,000 dispossessed Jews who were thrown out of their homes by Arab nations when the Jewish state was formed? That was true ethnic cleansing. These refugees were taken in by Israel. Should not the Palestinian refugees be taken in by the nations in which these refugee camps are now present? The Israelis want to live in peace with the Palestinians, and have said so. The likes of Hamas have bred hate amongst the Palestinian population. A truce is a good start, but true peace will take generations.
Jonathan Baral, Australia
I just do not see this latest roadmap succeeding. For starters, you mean to tell me that Hamas is just going to give up their guns to the new PLO, when they are not guaranteed that if something goes wrong down the road they will have nothing to fight with for the rights. BT, US
I try to feel hopeful, but can only come to the conclusion that Hamas agreed to the ceasefire because they were all being killed and feared the eventual demise of their organisation. We will see if they are truly open to peace or if this is just a ploy to buy time, eventually reverting back to their stated goal: The destruction of Israel.
Jason, Boston, US
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I am amazed and very optimistic
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I am amazed and very optimistic now about this potential turning of leaves by both parties. Also with Condoleezza Rice there making an American presence, it show others that America is indeed committed and pushing for the roadmap to peace. Israel will comply only under "conditions". Palestine will comply only under "conditions". It seemed all lost until Hamas committed to a conditional ceasefire and now Israel is pulling forces out of the Gaza Strip. Things might just get better after all.
Eddie Mekins, US
I don't accept this premise, it assumes peace had been "on track." Peace has never been on track. 55 years of war continues. The goal remains the same: Ending the existence of the state of Israel. Until the Arab world recognises Israel's legitimacy, peace cannot prevail.
Richard Haar, USA
I feel hopeful about peace for the first time in ages. Ms Rice's visit will keep pressure up.
Pamela West,
UK
There is the possibility of this plan working out if final parameters are worked on. Granted, confidence building is all fine and good (and perhaps appropriate, considering that Sharon is no longer working with Arafat) but both sides have very different perceptions of what the final framework will be like. Better to begin laying that groundwork concurrently with these confidence measures.
Stephen W, US
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