Here’s the Israeli-Palestinian statement read at the Annapolis “peace in our time” conference, a gauzy, insubstantial promise to reach an “agreement” by the end of 2008 by setting up a whole lot of bureaucratic negotiating committees and overseers.

Concluding with the road map that refused to die. Yes, four years later we’re unfolding the very same mildewed road map that Palestinians have never honored for one single day, after “agreeing” to it.

The parties also commit to immediately implement their respective obligations under the performance-based road map to a permanent two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict issued by the quartet on 30 April, 2003 — this is called the road map — and agree to form an American, Palestinian and Israeli mechanism led by the United States to follow up on the implementation of the road map.

The parties further commit to continue the implementation of the ongoing obligations of the road map until they reach a peace treaty. The United States will monitor and judge the fulfillment of the commitment of both sides of the road map.

UPDATE at 11/27/07 11:32:33 am:

Palestinian killed as police break up West Bank rallies.

RAMALLAH, West Bank (AFP) - Palestinian police killed one man in the West Bank on Tuesday as it broke up rallies against a US peace meeting, while Hamas supporters in Gaza rallied in force against the conference.

Palestinian security forces fired into the air and pummelled demonstrators with batons as they dispersed protests throughout the occupied West Bank against the meeting opening in the US city of Annapolis.

Riot police and other security forces moved in on members of the Hezb al-Tahrir (Islamic Liberation Party) as soon as they left mosques in the cities of Ramallah, Nablus and Hebron aiming to march in demonstrations.

In Hebron, 36-year-old Hisham Baradi died in hospital of a gunshot wound received in the melee. The circumstances surrounding the shooting were not immediately clear. At least 35 other people were wounded.