Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas started a series of meetings last week amid pressure from the United States to get peace talks rolling. Is this the beginning of resolution to a situation that has plagued the Middle East for decades? In all likelihood, no.

During a visit last month by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, the two leaders agreed to meet on a regular basis. Peace talks have been at a total standstill for six years, and these meetings do not appear successful in achieving talk of peace.

Olmert met begrudgingly, on the condition that the most contentious issues would not be discussed.

“We will not discuss the core issues of the conflict: the issue[s] of [Palestinian] refugees, Jerusalem and borders,” he said.

Is the right of return for Palestinian refugees still too touchy a subject after decades of displacement? Let’s not discuss that. How about the settlements developing on the West Bank, even after international and American pressure to end the practice? Let’s not go there. Well, what about the creation of a Palestinian state? Now that’s something to talk about.

But wait a minute. They won’t discuss borders. How do they expect to discuss a future Palestinian state without discussing borders? What will Olmert and Abbas do during their meetings — sip coffee and reminisce?

The meetings come at a time when both Abbas and Olmert, especially the latter, have struggled with their own governments. Olmert’s approval ratings are in the single digits, thanks to the catastrophic war waged in Lebanon last summer, and Abbas just recently created a unity administration with Hamas leaders after a long game of tug-of-war.

The meetings also come at a time when recent events in the area raise doubts about how serious the discussions are towards establishing a Palestinian state.

For years, reports that Israeli soldiers were using Palestinians as human shields during raids into Palestinian territory were left unconfirmed. Video footage shot by the Associated Press, however, provided undeniable proof that the practice, which is against international law, exists.

Nablus-native Sameh Amira, 24, was awakened by soldiers pounding on his home’s door during a raid of the city. He soon found himself in shorts and a T-shirt on a cold morning, leading heavily armed soldiers into the homes of people wanted by the Israeli military. Jihan Dadoush, 11, came forward with a similar account. Soldiers ordered her to come with them, threatening to arrest her if she refused. They ignored her father’s pleas to leave her alone after he explained that she has a heart condition. This operation into Nablus left the city paralyzed for six days and trapped thousands of people in their homes.

The Israeli military’s frequent forays into stifled Palestinian territory are not the right prelude to Palestinian statehood. The June 2006 capture of Israeli Cpl. Gilad Shalit by Palestinian militant factions demanding the release of Palestinian women and children from Israel’s prisons indicated just how subjective borders can be. The corporal’s capture was followed by a debilitating two-month Israeli invasion into the Gaza strip, during which nearly 200 Palestinians were killed. Didn’t Israel pull out of Gaza in 2005?

For a brief period, it did. The pullout, however, has not been followed, and it has not created any positive developments. Israel still decides when farmers can import their products, and when and how residents of Gaza can enter and exit the territory. Palestinians do not have nearly the same resources that the Israelis do to maintain security, basic living standards and a stable infrastructure.

Palestinian statehood is not a subject that can be seriously discussed without establishing basic and literal parameters, like borders. The Arab-Israeli conflict is complex and long-running, but continuing to sweep them under the rug after a half-century will do little more than add years to its already long tally. The world is watching and waiting for resolve to work toward justice and peace, not meaningless afternoon lunches with indecisive leaders.

Reach reporter Hanady Kader at opinion@thedaily.washington.edu.