Three major events reshaped the political landscape of the Middle East during a seven-week period beginning in late 2008. Israel launched a devastating 22-day assault on Gaza to halt ongoing Palestinian rocket and mortar fire, Israeli parliamentary elections displayed growing disenchantment with the peace process and President Barack Obama moved into the White House promising to try to help resolve the Arab-Israeli conflict after more than six decades of violence. Obama's pledge raised hopes in some quarters for a revival of peace talks -- in limbo since the controversial Gaza war began on December 27. But Israel's political shift to the right and deep, continuing Palestinian divisions raise the prospect of continued stalemate. Years of talks and several interim agreements have failed to encourage either side that they can eventually get what they want. Israelis, pursuing security, remain the target of militant attacks, while impoverished Palestinians -- seeking a state of their own -- remain under effective Israeli control.

Irwin Arieff is a veteran journalist now freelancing in New York City. He served for 23 years as a correspondent for the Reuters news agency in Washington, Paris, New York and the United Nations. During more than four decades as a writer and editor -- including five years writing for the CQ Weekly -- Arieff covered subjects ranging from international affairs, the White House and U.S. politics to science and medicine, the television industry and financial market regulation. He has a Masters Degree in Journalism from Northwestern University's Medill School.