Progress in the tense relationship between Israel and Palestinians requires engagement at the highest levels of government. That much is certain. Allowing the two sides to sort through detailed negotiations on their own is following a road to nowhere.

To understand the cantankerous nature of the Middle East, look to this week’s agreement that will allow Palestinians to control a Gaza border crossing for the first time ever.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice pulled an all-nighter earlier this week to work out the details of opening the border crossing in Rafah on the Egyptian border. Security concerns, legitimate in the face of suicide bombers and unprovoked rocket attacks, have kept Gaza in a state of near-isolation since the unilateral pullout of the Israeli military earlier this year.

The difficulty in moving people and goods in and out of the region has strangled the economy, pushing unemployment to 60 percent and squelching any chance for stability. And that economic hardship and instability pushes recruits directly into the hands of terrorists, eager to send death into Israel on the backs of the disenchanted and disenfranchised.

In addition to the Rafah crossing, the agreement promises to also speed the transit of agricultural products from Gaza into Israel and on to markets in Europe. Long delays have caused untold tons of goods to spoil while waiting to cross the border.

Rice and her staff at the State Department deserve credit for re-engaging in the negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians. As previous U.S. administrations have learned, direct involvement is crucial for progress. Rice has shown she’s an able negotiator, and her efforts this week have brought results.

Much remains to be done to bring peace between Palestinians and Israelis. Scheduled elections on both sides of the border will pit domestic politics against international progress. But movement requires the U.S. to take an active and aggressive diplomatic role.