This is the report of a meeting held in April 2005 by the Middle East Policy Initiative Forum (MEPIF) and Oxford Research Group. MEPIF and ORG convened a two-day roundtable of eminent Israelis, Palestinians and internationals at Charney Manor, Oxford. Participants included former negotiators, politicians, academics, journalists and civil society figures. They took a fresh look at the state of the conflict, analysed opportunities and obstacles, and shared ideas for making progress toward a viable peace.

The meeting took place at a time of apparent optimism around Palestinian elections, prospects of Israeli disengagement and the fragile calm. But underlying realities revealed a different story.