Making or breaking peace

The window of opportunity is made of glass, notes one Israeli leader, but U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is determined to find a Middle East breakthrough | Jill Nelson

GETTING SERIOUS: Israeli soldiers guard one side of a separation barrier while Muslims prepare for prayers near the West Bank town of Ramallah on the first Friday of Ramadan, Sept. 14.

U.S. diplomats arrived in Israel to jump-start peace talks during September's High Holy Days—The Jewish New Year followed by 10 days of repentance and culminating in Yom Kippur—the one day of the year when radio and TV broadcasts are silenced, planes are grounded, and streets are virtually empty as observant Jews fast and seek forgiveness for transgressions.

Given that the Jewish High Holy Days coincide this year with Ramadan, a month-long Islamic fast ending mid-October, it's easy to see why diplomats might smell peace and reconciliation in the air.

But the headlines across the region paint a different picture. The fresh onslaught of rocket attacks from Islamist-ruled Gaza, waning faith in local leadership, and cryptic scuffles with Syria are a better picture of relations between Israel and her neighbors.