Mr. Fahmy: You miss one all-important detail. When the Saudis (the proposer) were pressed, they admitted that the 'promise of full peace' was only a suggestion and that each country would decide for itself to proceed. This is not a peace plan.

Mr Fahmy, Thank you for your article. It is so rare to see Egyptian journalistas writing something constructive and trust-building. God bless you.

Only today we read in the news that Hamas official Khalil al-Haya expressed hope that the UN will recognize a Palestinian state not only on 1967 borders but on the whole of the State of Israel's territory. How can you expect Israel to give peace a chance when a large portion of the "Palestinians" don't even want to accept the existence of Israel in any form of shape? Your article has no credibility in the light of what these "Palestinians want.

The fact that API expects millions of Palestinian "refugees" who aren't really refugees but citizens of other countries then be absorbed by Israel thus rendering Israel no longer, uniquely Jewish.

BUT RECOGNIZING ISRAEL AS A JEWISH STATE! AND GIVING UP THE FAKE RIGHT OR RETURN FOR ETERNITY. OTHERWISE, THE CONFLICT WILL CONTINUE. the arabs collectively have and must recognize israel as a jewish state to end all conflicts and demands upon it. this is the only way that this conflict will end. just like there is the islamic state of this or that, or the arab republic of this or that, there should be a state called and recognized not only as israel, by the arabs, but as ISRAEL, THE JEWISH STATE. PERIOD! hameed aboughaze, iranian

What Aziz Fahmy fails to acknowledge is that the Arab "Peace" Initiative includes resolving the Arab refugee issue under the "right of return" to Israel, meaning that Israel would soon enough be majority Arab. He also fails to note that the Saudis, who initiated the proposal but refused to present it to Israel for discussion, offered the plan on a "take it or leave it" basis. Israel rightly elected to leave it. And, as Israel has seen with their "peace treaties" with both Egypt and Jordan, they are rather cold affairs, lacking anything close to the normalization called for. When many in those countries are calling for those treaties to be abandoned, why should Israel give any credence to the API?

Muslim palestinians-but he expects Israel to open doors to pals settling inside. He is a despicable hypocrite

Thank you Mr. Fahmy, for your inspiring article. I am an Israeli woman who is not a Peace Now activist, nor am I a right wing supporter. I speak as an average Israeli Jew, who is sick and tired of all the violence, hate and bloodshed. I personally do not believe that Israel can reach an agreement with our other Arab neighbors, nor does it seem possible to have the same with the Palestinians right now. However, I do firmly believe that now is the time for Egypt and Israel to pursue peace with all our strength and resources. There are extremists on both sides that would have us fighting each other until the bitter end. But there are also democracy-loving Egyptians and peace-loving Israelis who will not give up on attaining peace, hopefully an everlasting peace, between our countries. As long as there are people on both sides who have vision, like you, and faith, we can do this.

* Jerusalem is a sovereign part of Israel. It cannot ever be re-divided, not just for religious or historical reasons, but also because the city's Jewish and Arab populations are too economically and physically interwoven to separate, and most Jerusalem Arabs prefer Israel over the Palestinian Authority. *Israel will not return to the "1967 borders". These are temporary boundaries drawn up as armistice lines in 1949, not legally binding. *Israel cannot accept a "Palestinian right of return" for obvious reasons.

he is Aziz ANDFahmiso it must be 67 borders at least becouse 48 borders were not permenent it was by force i think if israil can kept the hall of palastine by force it will not leave any centemeter the same about palastinians so they must reach to a solvation to be agreed by both or let the conflect to run to the end by force or un or by time i think it will not like what you said about jerusalem and the right of return

even if it is on purely Arab terms. Personally almost everything I see and hear from Egypt and the rest of the Arab world is that they dont want peace with Israel. They'd rather there was no Israel. So it's nice to see there is a faint glimmer of hope.

i wish I could share your optimism, however, with the world ready to give the Palestininians a state eventhough Abbas will not recognize a jewish State . There is too much bad faith and deception in the environment for true peace to occur. Maybe in a100 years.

If IPI believes that "peace should be given a chance," then the group should condemn Abbas for breaking the Oslo Accords by acting unilaterlly, and going to the UN to submit a bid for statehood. Peace does not have a chance if one side feels it can break an agreement. For this group not to condemn the PA's actions is pure hypocrisy.

Very badly constructed post Arab.

No, not even a faint glimmer of hope. Fahmy lives in Washington. He would not survive in Egypt.