With hopes of securing an historic Mideast peace treaty by the end of 2008, President George W. Bush invited Israel’s prime minister, Ehud Olmert and Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas to a one day summit in Annapolis, Maryland. Representatives from more than 50 countries, including 12 Arab foreign ministers, also attended the conference last November. Despite critics’ predictions that the Annapolis Summit would fail, President Bush spoke confidently about "resolving all outstanding issues, including core issues, without exception."

Four core issues lie at the heart of the Israeli-Palestinian dispute: final borders, status of Jerusalem, right of return of "refugees," and Israeli settlements. Even in the best political environment, each of these problems could single-handedly undermine peace efforts.  

Use the buttons at the top to navigate through the four core issues to understand the current state of the Mideast peace efforts.