by Joe Manzo

President George W. Bush, in an attempt to finally bring stability to the Middle East, set up a roadmap to peace earlier this year. The outcome would create a separate Palestinian state. The Israelis had to agree to stop building settlements on Palestinian lands and the Palestine had to agree to break down their own terrorist networks.

The plan seemed to work at first. Palestinians stopped attacking innocent civilians and the Israeli’s did their part. Unfortunately, that did not last. Hamas and Islamic Jihad started attacking again, and in response Israel starting building more settlements and a security fence. It now looks like the roadmap is another failed peace attempt by an American President.

In October 2000, with the help of then U.S. President Bill Clinton, Palestinian Chairman Arafat and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak tried to reach an agreement in Camp David, the President‘s vacation home. In exchange for peace, Israel offered Arafat an independent Palestinian state, 95 percent of the West Bank and Gaza and half of Jerusalem.

Some Jews thought Israel offered to much.

“I didn’t think the Palestinians deserved all that was offered them,” Barry Haimo, a member of Gators for Israel, said. “That shows that terrorism can get you what you want.”

Arafat did not agree. He refused the treaty and the countries have been battling ever since.

Even after peace offers and war, the fighting continues daily. Can anything or anyone put an end to it?

University of Florida religion professor and expert on Muslim civilization Richard Foltz thinks Israel can.

“When you have got a conflict between a very powerful side and a very weak side, probably the effective and most morally appropriate scenario is for the most powerful side to make the extra effort,” Foltz said. “I think there is no question that in this conflict Israel is the more powerful side so it may be easier for them to take the higher ground. For Palestinians, its just a matter of survival.”