As U.S

Much ado to talk about nothing

So, the curtain is raised once again, the actors emerge, and the crowd applauds - it's the latest scene in the tragic comedy of the Israeli-Arab conflict.
 
As Barack Obama, the US president, welcomed his guests at the White House to unveil the resumption of direct "negotiations" between the Israelis and Palestinians, it was almost difficult not to feel a sense of déjà vu.
 
President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt, King Abdullah of Jordan, Benyamin Netanyahu and Mahmoud Abbas all took it in turns to impress upon us the importance of "seizing this moment" to achieve peace. Each leader emphasised just how critical it was that this latest round of negotiations succeed; for, after all they "are all fathers, blessed with sons and daughters whose generation will judge them" - as President Obama so eloquently put it.