Putting a duck on a perch

Driven by expediency and short-term crisis management, it is unlikely that the Israeli-Palestinian talks will achieve much

Israeli-Palestinian peace talks are the linchpin of the Middle East peace process. The long-standing Israeli-Palestinian conflict is one of the world's most intractable conflicts. Promoting negotiations between the Arab world and Israel and avoiding turbulence and conflicts in the Middle East is in line with the United States' strategic interests and has been one of Washington's diplomatic priorities.

Thanks to the importance and complexity of the peace talks, historically, whether US presidents could promote the peace process has been seen as a touchstone for their diplomatic achievements and political legacy. A photo of the leaders from Israel and the Arab world shaking hands with the US president standing in the middle beside them is regarded as proof of such an achievement.