Dinner Party COULD Work

Hey folks,

The big news today is that the Peace Summit is taking place. As I have told you in the past that I have been to, and even hosted, "World Summit Dinner Parties." I have been there when there were Representatives from Russia, Canada, the Philippians, Seychelles Islands, The Czech Republic, England, Britain, Sweden, of course, the good Ol' USA, ETC. Over the years, when these take place in these dinners, I am ALWAYS in Aw. I love meeting these people and actually LEARNING from the everyday people that were born and raised in these countries. I love their take on politics, reality and basically, life itself.

Are there differences? Of course. Are there disagreements on certain issues from time to time? Of course. But it is ALWAYS civil, and seems that ALL are open and listening. Wanting to learn other points of views.

I love this piece by the AP - Mideast state dinner itself is statement by HOPE YEN, Associated Press Writer

Throwing a fancy dinner party is never easy. But it takes the stress up a notch when some of the guests won't even shake hands.

Monday night's dinner at the State Department for participants in the Mideast peace conference was akin to the Super Bowl of suppertime protocol.

What to serve guests without offending either Muslim or kosher sensitivities?

Who should be seated next to whom when some guests shudder at the notion of even being photographed together?

This part was easy: Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, the host of the affair, sat front and center. On either side of her were Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, the most pivotal of this array of players.

"Madam Secretary, thank you for your hospitality," President Bush said. Looking around, he joked: "I was wondering where my place is."

Actually, he didn't stay. He instead talked of the common goal — two states, Israel and Palestine, living in harmony — and reminded the representatives from more than 40 Mideast delegations that he was personally committed to the cause. It took him about two minutes.

To cap off his toast, Bush stepped forward to clink glasses with Abbas and Olmert; his had water in it. Theirs had iced tea.

Then Bush worked the room for several minutes, although he still made it back to the White House more than 15 minutes ahead of schedule.

Many of the people in the room have had frosty relations for decades, if they were on speaking terms at all, due to continuing conflict over the future of the fractured Middle East.

"We will, of course, be respectful of the various relationships, or the various states of relationships, among the participants," said State Department spokesman Sean McCormack. "These are all experienced professionals. I would expect that they are going to be focused on the tasks at hand."

The dinner guests gathered in the Benjamin Franklin State Dining Room, which has seen scores of high-profile diplomatic pronouncements but perhaps none fraught with as much delicate protocol as this one. The guests sat in wooden-backed chairs around circular tables tucked neatly across the room.

The meal, keyed to both kosher and Muslim dietary restrictions, included main entrees of either red and yellow beet salad with mango with curried mango dressing or honey-soy glazed sea bass with cabbage, snow peas and mushrooms. Sitting at tables adorned with light-maroon tablecloths, gold flowers and gold napkins, guests also were to dine on carrot timbale, sugar snap peas, iced tea and hazelnut sponge cake.

The State Department did not respond to a request for details on the seating arrangements.

But this much is known: Should Saudi Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal encounter Olmert, neither was likely to join in any historic Arab-Israeli handshakes — not beneath the room's Adam-style cut-glass chandeliers, atop a Savonnerie-style carpet with the Great Seal of the United States or anywhere else.

Saud was asked Monday whether he would shake hands with Olmert and gave a curt no.

"We are here for the serious business of making peace," Saud said. "It is not a sporting contest where you shake hands and let the best man win."

Olmert, for his part, declared: "If someone doesn't want to shake my hand, I won't extend mine."

There were no plans for Bush or Rice to run interference.

"That's going to be up to all of the representatives how they decide to interact," McCormack said.

Now do not get me wrong. NO US President has been able to bring peace between the two for decades. I HIGHLY doubt that sharing a dinner will do the trick. But as I have learned, it's a good start. I say, forget all the standard Protocol {Other than the special need of certain foods], and just relax the room. Allow them to be themselves. You know the best person to host this type of thing? Someone that knows NOTHING about either. Someone that is eager to learn. Someone that can offend, and be over looked for their ignorance. You would have all in a attendance wanting to educate that person of their point of view, traditions, history, ETC. They would be more open and more civil.

But the truth is, decades of conflicts will hardly be solved over one dinner. They are having a hard time trying to work out the particulars on the Summit itself. According to CNN -Israeli, Palestinian officials work on joint agreement for summit

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- With a Mideast summit starting Tuesday in Maryland, Israeli and Palestinian officials worked late into the night trying to hammer out a joint agreement on how negotiations would move forward, diplomats from several delegations said.

But the two sides have not agreed on several issues and there was no guarantee that any work plan would be agreed upon, the diplomats said.

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was cautious but hopeful the parties could finish an agreement, diplomats said.

Reuters reports, Bush hosts Mideast talks amid skepticism

Joining the talks are Syria, a front-line state formally at war with Israel, and Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal, both of whose presence is considered a diplomatic coup for the Bush administration. U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will shepherd the conference.

The meeting includes a session on the Golan Heights, occupied by Israel since 1967 and which Damascus hopes to regain. "We participate with the understanding that the Golan will be discussed," Syrian diplomat Ahmad Salkini told Reuters.

Break,,

Despite Bush's insistence on a renewed U.S. commitment and a call for stepped-up international support for the peace process, expectations were low for major strides in the three days of meetings that started at the White House on Monday.

Of course they are. No one really expects this to be some kind of break through. No one. But just because expectations are low, does that me we should not try?

I wish all the best for all those that attend this three day summit. I hope that they will walk away with NEW hope, with maybe a new outlook on the future. Peace BEATS War any day of the week. But Like I said, we are talking DECADES of War. I doubt three days will change much.
Peter