Change in personnel

One option that may come into play is a change in emphasis in Washington's approach, which may mirror or be mirrored by a gradual change in the administration's people who deal with the Israelis and Palestinians on a day-to-day basis, said Rynhold.

He believes there will be an increased role for Dennis Ross, a veteran diplomat who was recently moved to the National Security Council (NSC) in the White House from the State Department.

Ross held senior positions under former President Bush and was Bill Clinton's special Middle East coordinator.

"Dennis Ross knows all the sides and the nuances. People had the view that 'if we just pressure Israel then everything else will fall into place.' That kind of line is receding," said Rynhold.

Ross, Rynhold added, is capable of adopting a more " sophisticated view," which will take into account the opinions of the Arab world and the Iranian question which is increasingly overshadowing the Israeli-Palestinian parley. Ross was dealing with Iran before he joined the NSC.

This maturity was perhaps displayed by Obama when he did not extend all the usual courtesies to Netanyahu. It may have also been evident when, also on Monday, he met Jewish leaders in the White House.

When he spoke to them, even though Netanyahu was in town and there were quite a few headlines about the peace process, Obama preferred to concentrate on domestic Jewish issues rather than the Israeli-Palestinian question.

On coming into office 10 months ago, Obama hoped that his cool, no-nonsense style of governance would lead to a breakthrough in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. As with many of his predecessors, he thought that he had to act in the first year of his presidency, said Slonim. From his second year in the White House, Obama would be preoccupied with mid-term elections and then his own re- election, Slonim added.

However, Slonim and Rynhold agree he went about it the wrong way.

They both hold the opinion that perhaps the political maturity Obama's team has displayed over the last few days may lead to a new beginning and a shift in policies that will take in the broader picture, allowing breathing room for Abbas, Netanyahu and the Arab world. That new approach may forge a breakthrough that all Obama's attempts thus far have failed to create.