Egypt—What’s a summit without an agreement? Meeting Tuesday at an Egyptian resort, the leaders of Israeli and the Palestinian Authority are expected to declare an end to the violence—the intifadah—that has plagued Israel for the past four years.

An eruption of Palestinian suicide bombings, missile/mortar attacks on Israeli settlements, and retaliation/defensive moves by the Israeli army have resulted in thousands of deaths on both sides over the past four years.

Any agreement to stop the violence must be honored by the terrorists who are fomenting it—not a sure thing, many observers agree, since the destruction of Israel, not peace, is not what the militants want.

Regardless of what might happen, those involved in the summit at Sharm El-Sheikh expressed hopes for a turning point on their way into Tuesday’s meetings.

“I hope it will be positive. I hope it will open the road for bilateral negotiations,” Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas was quoted as saying before the meetings began.

Israel, for its part, agreed to end all “pro-active military action,” wire reports said.

Saeb Erekat, a Palestinian cabinet minister, told Israeli radio Tuesday morning that no peace treaties will be signed at the summit. “We are going there to tell Palestinians and Israelis we are opening a new page of quiet, peace, stability,” he said.

The death of Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat several months ago paved the way for a possible revival of the road map peace plan advanced by President Bush. The willingness of Abbas to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is considered a positive development.