Annapolis and the Middle East

The last time Israelis and Palestinians sat down at an American conference table to talk peace — seven long and bloody years ago — the Middle East was a different place.

Today, as the old adversaries meet in Annapolis, Maryland — along with the U.S. and dozens of other countries, including most of the Arab world — the backdrop is sobering: Iraq mired in civil war, Iran on the rise, Hamas ruling Gaza, and Sunnis and Shiites staring across a dangerous divide. In other words, the stakes at Annapolis could hardly be bigger.

This hour, On Point: Israelis, Palestinians, and the new Middle East.Guests:

Dennis Ross, former Middle East envoy for presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton, now a fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy and author of "Statecraft: And How to Restore America's Standing in the World."

Fawaz Gerges, professor of International Affairs and Middle Eastern Studies at Sarah Lawrence College and author of "Journey of the Jihadist: Inside Muslim Militancy."