In the first meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in over four months, security and implementation of previous agreements dominated Tuesday’s discussions, leading to tense disputes and failed attempts to resolve any of the contentious issues in the region. Preceding optimism, therefore, faded quickly as the two hour face-to-face talks revealed uncompromising deadlock. Once again, Sharon gave his infamous “security” and “terrorism” excuse for not easing Palestinian suffering from Israel’s illegal occupation and, rather, used it in a context to justify further suppression.

The Abbas-Sharon summit took place at the prime minister’s home in Jerusalem, where Palestinian leaders demanded more freedom of movement in and out of Gaza, the reopening of air and seaports, an end to settlement expansion and construction of the Annexation Wall, Israel’s release of Palestinian prisoners and control of Palestinian towns. These requests were very basic, considering that they are internationally-supported key points agreed upon in previous negotiations between the two sides. Yet, their implementation has largely been ignored by Israel, who continues to refuse compliance, which, in turn, halts movement toward peace.

Unsurprisingly, Sharon excused Israel's violations with the unrealistic precondition that the Palestinian National Authority put a “total end to terrorism,” saying its illegal actions are all in the name of “security.” Thus, his gestures to hand the PNA control over Bethlehem and Qalqilya, to release some prisoners and to grant 39,000 permits for Palestinians to work or trade in Israel to relieve some economic hardship are unlikely to materialize, based on the remote possibility of an absolute absence of clashes.

“We want to make progress with the Palestinians so we can implement the roadmap but that will not be possible until there is a complete end to terrorist attacks,” Sharon said.

However, what Israel fails, or perhaps even refuses, to recognize is that attacks against it, which in fact trail Israeli attacks against Palestinians, are a result of almost 40 years of illegal occupation of Palestinian lands. More is required of Israel, the aggressor in the conflict, if it expects real progress on the part of Palestinians.

“The Israelis were not serious,” Qurei told reporters in Ramallah after the summit. “It was a difficult meeting and it did not live up to our expectations. Overall, what was presented to us was not convincing or satisfying to us at all. In all the basic issues for which we were expecting positive responses, there were none.”

The meeting was also a failure in terms of the complete disregard to the understandings of the February 8 Sharm el Sheikh Summit, in which Israel and Palestinians agreed to a truce. Sharon manipulated his promise to hand security of five Palestinian regions over to PNA security forces by only handing over Jericho and Tulkarem but resuming military incursions and extra-judicial assassinations of Palestinian activists in the area, as well as in other parts of the Occupied Territories, shortly thereafter; Israel also failed to create an agreed-upon joint committee to discuss the release of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails.

With similar outcomes resulting from almost all talks between Israel and Palestinians over the years, it is unfortunately no surprise that Tuesday’s meeting was such a disappointment. Until true and realistic action is taken, skepticism of trust, hope and peace will continue to loom over the region.