Issue: NPR : Amid Relative Quiet, Sharon and Abbas Plan Summit:

Specific: "Abbas has deployed thousands of police officers to prevent attacks against Israeli targets in Gaza. Israel has responded by halting offensive operations. "

Comment: If peace between the Palestinians and Israel should develop in the next four years it is not due to Bush policies. It would not be anymore the result of Bush policies than the fall of the USSR was not the result of Reagan policies. As the rise of Gorbachev to power was key in the USSR situation, the death of Arafat is key between Israel and the Palestinians.

It should also be noted that peace between the Palestinians and Israel may not necessarily be peace in the middle east. What if Iraq and Iran go after each other again... There are many other combinations to be concerned about.