George Schultz has tried throughout his years…

George Schultz has tried throughout his years as U.S. Secretary of State to promote the peace process in the Middle East by brokering direct negotiations between Israel and the PLO.

Such talks will require the PLO to renounce terrorism and recognize Israel's right to exist, but the PLO (which the Israeli ambassador Abba Eban has said "never misses an opportunity to miss an opportunity") refuses to make the requisite concessions.

In February 1988, Israeli premier Yitzhak Shamir invites Shultz to intervene, but he tries in vain to revive the diplomatic process.

Meanwhile, Jordan's King Hussein has finally abandoned his formal ambition to represent the Palestinians.

Israel's international image is suffering as the media records scenes of Israeli soldiers beating young Palestinians in the street.

Frequent closures of the areas also severely disrupt the Palestinian economy, and Israel begins to replace Arab day labor with immigrant workers from outside the region.