Peace is always a possibility.

And nowhere is that sense of hope more needed — and more difficult — than in the Middle East.

So it's important to find optimism in Tuesday's summit in Annapolis that brought together leaders of 40 countries for a one-day summit on how to win peace in the Mideast.

What emerged was modest: a pledge from Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to continue talking, with the goal of adopting a treaty by the end of 2008.

President Bush, who brokered the talks, rightly understands that the framework of this fragile peace process cannot be dictated by the United States. "It's got to be a Palestinian vision and an Israeli vision where they can find common ground," Bush told CNN.

Finding that common ground has been an elusive goal.

That's because any agreement must first deal with painful issues left unresolved under the 2003 "roadmap to peace." Among them: the establishment of a peaceful and well-defined Palestinian state; recognition of Israel's right to exist as a Jewish state; and how to deal with refugees.

All of these goals require broad buy-in from other Arab states in the region. So having these leaders participate in the summit should be the start of their continued involvement.

Even as Abbas and Olmert attempt to build bridges, it is far from certain that any agreement they broker will be widely accepted. Both are weak leaders and would need strong support from their regional neighbors and from the United States if any peace treaty were to succeed.

Abbas is under the thumb of Hamas, a terrorist group that views any move toward peace as a sign of weakness. Olmert, too, has little leverage as long as Palestinian terrorists use Gaza to base its attacks against Israelis.

Reality is indeed sobering. But it must not be allowed to extinguish any hope for peace.