Peace talks begin between Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestine’s Mahmoud Abbas tomorrow, and the word from the White House is positive, as usual.

Despite the fact that eight previous attempts since 1979 have failed, Americans once again get a vague sense of optimism from an administration that seems obsessed with the idea that positive thinking can solve all of our problems.

However, not withstanding the blatant familiarity of the situation from all sides, this event shows genuine promise for tangible results.

Unlike in past attempts, there is public support from both groups, with leaders willing to compromise.

It seems that the constant conflict has worn down all involved, and a two-state arrangement appears agreeable to the majority of Israelis and Palestinians.

Netanyahu himself advocated a Palestinian state alongside Israel in his June 2009 Bar-Ilan Speech, changing his previous stance of a non-negotiable Zionist state.

On the Palestinian side of the matter, Yasir Arafat is out of the picture.

On multiple occasions Yasir Arafat, Palestinian leader, has shot down any possibility of an agreement, from his outright refusal of then-Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak’s liberal concessions in 2000 to the general sense of mistrust he brought to the table.

Certainly Arafat didn’t relish any real form of cooperation.

His alleged link to terrorist groups in his area almost destroyed any possibility of an amiable end result.

With Abbas at the helm, there is possibility for success if both sides play nicely at the negotiating table.

Indeed, there is little to actually negotiate, as most boundaries for an independent Palestinian state have been settled over the years since the Oslo Accords were signed.

The only real issues that remain are who controls what parts of Jerusalem, how much disputed territory Israel will pull out of, and Israeli security.

These issues will likely be full of controversy but can be expected to pan out if Netanyahu and Abbas are truly seeking peace.

However, this set of peace talks could easily go awry. Within the past week, several major issues have popped up that could derail negotiations.

The most significant subject will be the rapidly approaching end of Israel’s 10-month ban on the construction of settlements in the West Bank.

Netanyahu shows no intention of extending the moratorium, and Abbas has already said he will pull out of negotiations if the ban is not extended. If the matter remains unresolved, there is no possibility of an agreement in this set of talks.

However, if the issue can be settled amiably, not only will diplomacy remain viable, but also Netanyahu and Abbas will have announced to the world that they fully intend to follow through in negotiations.

This moratorium is a critical hurdle. If a mutually agreeable compromise can be achieved, it seems possible that peace will be seen in the Middle East.

All that remains to be seen is if Netanyahu and Abbas are prepared to cooperate?

— Buck Roberson, University College freshman