Outsiders, in Europe and the Arab world, have been making it plain to Shimon Peres, Israel's foreign minister, that, unless he can point to some achievement, he risks being written off as Ariel Sharon's apologist or fig-leaf. Three months after the two septuagenarians came together in government, Israel's "Mr Peace" is being called on to bring Israel's hardline prime minister back to the negotiating table, and so save the region from plunging further into turmoil because of the unrelenting violence between Palestinians and Israelis. This week alone, eight Palestinians, including two small children, are dead. So is one Israeli. And Israeli tanks have again driven into Palestinian-controlled areas of Gaza.
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