A long-time senior Israeli diplomat warned on Tuesday that Israel will be isolated and come under intense pressure from nations and powers unsympathetic to its cause and concerns at the upcoming US-hosted peace summit in Annapolis, Maryland.

"This conference, if it does take place, has every potential of becoming an event where Israel will be on the defensive from the beginning [until] the end," CNS News quoted former Israeli Ambassador to the US Zalman Shoval as telling a Jerusalem press conference.

Referring to the gathering scheduled to take place next month as the "Annapolis charade," Shoval said it will be a "forum where Israel will be in splendid isolation, facing the entire Arab League, European Union, the UN, Russia."

Consequently, the chances for Israel to have its positions recognized and taken into serious consideration "are practically nil."

Israel's Military Intelligence has already warned that the Palestinians are looking to make quick, concrete gains at the summit, while postponing and ultimately sidestepping implementation of any commitments made to Israel.

Israeli opposition leaders fear that the Bush Administration's desire to oversee an Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement will override concerns regarding Palestinian noncompliance.