At long last the invitations have gone out. The Annapolis meeting will take place after all, and it will happen this Tuesday. I suspect Miss Manners might have objected to sending invitations just a few days before the event, especially considering most of the guests will have to travel many thousands of miles to get to the bash. But then, Miss Manners never had to set the table for a gathering of Arab and Israeli adversaries. Of all the questions surrounding this much-maligned non-conference, the most critical is: Will it disappoint? Will it disappoint Palestinians so much that they turn against Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, giving yet another opening to those who would rather destroy Israel than negotiate? The answer to that is an almost unequivocal "no." Almost, because nothing is certain when it comes to the Middle East. By all indications, however, we can breathe a sigh of relief on that count. There is almost no chance that the summit will disappoint, because nobody expects a great success. That is true among Israelis and Palestinians, on the left and on the right. It is true of experts and casual observers. All agree: Peace will not break out at Annapolis.
The Best Thing Going at Annapolis: Low Expectations
