The Palestine Question

British Prime Minister Tony Blair met with PLO leader Yasser Arafat yesterday, becoming the first western leader to meet with Arafat since the September 11th attacks. Blair emphatically expressed his support for a Palestinian state, saying he envisioned "Israel and Palestine living side-by-side." Many are hoping that one good that may come out of last month's tragedy will be a permanent solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. But other are more skeptical. Will the renewed focus on the Middle East help solve the conundrum?

Guests:

Ismael Abu-Shanab, political leader of Hamas in Gaza;
Jeff Jacoby, columnist for The Boston Globe