Involve all M. East parties
Jun 05, 2003
ISRAEL HAS agreed in principle to accommodate a Palestinian state in a landmark summit that has enhanced prospects for peace in the Middle East
ISRAEL HAS agreed in principle to accommodate a Palestinian state in a landmark summit that has enhanced prospects for peace in the Middle East.
US President George Bush sponsored the summit, in Jordan, in which Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and his Palestinian counterpart Mahmoud Abbas set in motion the ‘road map’ for peace and Palestinian statehood.
This is a historic development. Since 1948, when Israel was created to accommodate the Jewish nation in old Palestine, the arguments, including numerous wars and innumerable acts of violence, have basically been about what to do with the displaced Palestinian nation. A two-state solution is what shall ultimately bring justice for two peoples, each with a legitimate historical claim to the territory.
But on this road map, in between the current impasse and the quest for justice, are several roadblocks. There are extremists on either side, as well as outside players like the states that influence the region.
Already, Palestinian militants, like Hamas and Islamic Jihad, which are sworn to Israel’s destruction, have vowed not to lay down arms. Israeli settlers, who would have to give up territory for the creation of a Palestinian state, have said they would not leave the land the international community views as illegal settlements occupied after the 1967 war.
It is also not wise to marginalise Yasser Arafat, the Palestinian leader, who remains the single most influential person on the Arab side.
Now a small breakthrough has been made. The challenge will be to involve all parties if a viable peace and territorial settlement are to be built.
US President George Bush sponsored the summit, in Jordan, in which Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and his Palestinian counterpart Mahmoud Abbas set in motion the ‘road map’ for peace and Palestinian statehood.
This is a historic development. Since 1948, when Israel was created to accommodate the Jewish nation in old Palestine, the arguments, including numerous wars and innumerable acts of violence, have basically been about what to do with the displaced Palestinian nation. A two-state solution is what shall ultimately bring justice for two peoples, each with a legitimate historical claim to the territory.
But on this road map, in between the current impasse and the quest for justice, are several roadblocks. There are extremists on either side, as well as outside players like the states that influence the region.
Already, Palestinian militants, like Hamas and Islamic Jihad, which are sworn to Israel’s destruction, have vowed not to lay down arms. Israeli settlers, who would have to give up territory for the creation of a Palestinian state, have said they would not leave the land the international community views as illegal settlements occupied after the 1967 war.
It is also not wise to marginalise Yasser Arafat, the Palestinian leader, who remains the single most influential person on the Arab side.
Now a small breakthrough has been made. The challenge will be to involve all parties if a viable peace and territorial settlement are to be built.