No party should be expected to trust its vital national security interests to any mechanism except direct talks. Direct talks work. In the Arab-Israeli conflict, an international conference may also be necessary to ease the entry of the parties into direct negotiations. This conference would also be in a position, at the right time, to deal with important region-wide issues, such as economic development, joint resource sharing and humanitarian concerns. But only the right kind of conference should take place, one that helps launch and support direct negotiations without interfering in them.
Palestinian participation is required at every stage of the negotiations.
Palestinians have a vital stake in the outcome of the negotiations. They must have a say in the negotiations themselves and they must approve the outcome. Participation involves responsibilities, however. There are no free rides. All parties must demonstrate their desire to make peace.