Think Tank: Middle-East Peace Prospect Looks Grim

With the press' preoccupation with a couple of stories the Middle-East crisis has taken a back seat lately. And things are looking bad:

The international community must try to resolve the Arab-Israeli conflict to stop the Middle East, already mired in its worst crisis in years, sliding further into turmoil, a respected think tank said on Thursday.

And who are the greatest obstacle to peace?:

It said the United Nations, the European Union and the Arab world had to come up with fresh ideas in the face of reluctance from Israel and its main ally, the United States, to act boldly.

The solution is simple:

And the endgame must be clear from the outset: security and recognition for Israel within recognized borders and an end to occupation for the Palestinians and an independent state based on boundaries that existed before the 1967 Middle East war.

Where is the U.S. in all this?:

...Washington was preoccupied with Iraq and Iran's nuclear program and was giving little sign of wanting to re-engage in the Arab-Israeli conflict despite a visit to the region by U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice this week.

The think tank sees a silver lining - I don't:

"The sense of fear, alarm even, about where developments might lead and the very real possibility of another Israeli-Arab war could inject a sense of urgency and induce parties to take a role they have been unwilling to take in the past," it said.