In the absence of a nightingale, even a raven is a songbird - or is it? The international conference initiated by U.S. President George W. Bush in the twilight of his term in office is definitely no songbird. It is more of a raven than a nightingale. After seven years of destroying the peace process in the Middle East, the U.S. administration is trying to hold a regional farewell party, the aim of which is to perpetuate the neoconservative order America has created here. All the good "cowboys" have been invited to the meeting: Israel, Egypt, Jordan and Fatah. The Saudis have also hit the trail, even though their seat in the Western saddle is still not sufficiently stable. The "Indians," however, have not been invited. While the big chief, Iran, is beyond discussion, the deputy chiefs - Syria and the heads of Hamas - have not been invited either.

President Bush is about to perpetuate the division of our region into "cowboys" and "Indians," in accordance with the list of those invited to the party. All good things will be bestowed upon the cowboys, while the Indians will be harshly punished.

This all-too-American and superpower view of interrelations in the Middle East is not suited to our region and contradicts the State of Israel's historical foreign policy. Moreover, it will also result in the division between good guys and bad guys within the Palestinian people itself and will thereby destroy its chances of creating a sustainable Palestinian state.