The impossible happened at Annapolis, President Shimon Peres told reporters on Thursday.
"Many people thought it would end with nothing, but from the impossible, we achieved something," he said - adding, however, that "there is still a long way to go, and it won't be simple."
He noted that "the meeting in Annapolis wound up a success in the face of a great deal of skepticism and disappointment. It was a political success for the United States and for President [George W.] Bush, and the two leaders of the delegations did a good job. They were well prepared, and they showed a great deal of flexibility."
Peres said this was only an opening and that both sides would have to work very hard in order to achieve a peace agreement, but for Israel it was important because Israel had "won both time and identification. The attendance was a demonstration by a better part of the world to bring the conflict to an end."