October 17, 2007 (LPAC)--Yossi Beilin, chairman of the Israeli Meretz-Yahad Party, warned today that if the Bush Administration doesn't do what is necessary for success, the Annapolis peace conference will lead to disaster. Mr. Beilin is now in Washington with a Knesset delegation.

After meetings with U.S. Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs Nick Burns, and Deputy National Security Advisor Jim Jeffrey, Beilin warned that if, after seven years of no negotiations at all, this summit fails, it could truly bring about catastrophe. "Failure," Beilin said, would also spell out the end of Abbas' rule, and "give an unbelievable boost to Hamas' strength."

Beilin said that the only way to save the conference was for both sides to achieve something significant. "My message is that we did not ask for the Annapolis conference, but if you wanted it, then it is your [America's] responsibility. It is up to you, along with Israel and the Palestinians of course, to prevent Annapolis from becoming a remake of Camp David," he said.