Viewed from London or Karachi, the conflict in the Middle East seems as intractable as ever. Since the failure of last year’s Camp David talks between Ehud Barak and Yasser Arafat, Israelis and Palestinians have been drawn into a new cycle of violence that seems to plummet endlessly.
Despair and indifference have embraced even the most ardent supporters of the peace process in both camps. As President Bill Clinton’s proposals were rejected, the American administration distanced itself from the parties, and until recently was not interested in a renewed effort to solve the problems.
