Outside editorial: It's good to see President Bush still trying to broker a Middle East solution
Ambitious is too mild an adjective to describe President George W. Bush's goal of brokering a peace agreement between Israelis and Palestinians before he leaves office in a year. Audacious is more like it.
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Even so, Bush's belated resolve to play peacemaker is welcome. He came into office seven years ago scorning the intensive and personal engagement of his predecessor, Bill Clinton, in talks between Israelis and Palestinians. Until it convened the Annapolis peace conference in November, his administration took an intermittent and arms-length approach, with predictably disappointing results.
Bush's direct involvement, of course, doesn't guarantee success. But high-level U.S. engagement in Mideast peace talks has led to breakthroughs before. And as the president recently suggested, resolving the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians would help defuse extremism that threatens U.S. security.
Bush is right to seize the current opportunity. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas have shown a willingness to work together. Their successors might not be so inclined.
Bush has correctly acknowledged that the two leaders are responsible for hammering out the details behind a peace deal. U.S. support will help them make difficult but essential concessions.
The lives and well-being of Israelis and Palestinians, and the security of Americans, are too important to neglect the peace process for another year.