Editorial de “The New York Times” del 05.05.2003
ahmoud
Abbas, the new Palestinian prime minister, wrote a book two decades ago calling
the Nazi Holocaust of six million Jews an illusion. He is also mistrusted by his
people. Ariel Sharon, the Israeli prime minister, is an architect of the Jewish
settlement movement in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, anathema to Palestinian
statehood. He is popular with his public for his hard-line response to terror.
This matchup does not augur well for the new Middle East peace process, begun last week when American officials published a seven-page road map of proposed mutual concessions. The reasons for pessimism far outweigh those for optimism. Yet, there is cautious hope about the blueprint, which seeks a Palestinian state and peaceful coexistence within three years. With a determined effort by the Bush administration, and mutually beneficial acts by Israelis and Palestinians, it may be possible to rekindle the peace process.
The plan itself is fair to both sides and clear. To start with, the Palestinian Authority must stop violence against Israel by consolidating security services and disarming rebels. Simultaneously, the Israelis must dismantle settlement outposts of the last two years and freeze all settlement activity, halt attacks on Palestinian property and civilians and resume cooperation.
Despite the eruption of new violence in recent days, the political climate may be conducive to some accommodation. With Saddam Hussein deposed, Israel enjoys a rare level of strategic comfort, which should add to its willingness to take chances. Mr. Abbas, for his part, has been speaking out forcefully against violence and says he intends to crack down on terror, disarm militant groups and negotiate in earnest. His political weakness may be a strength — his only hope of political survival is to make this plan work. If Mr. Sharon wants to end this conflict, which he says he does, he can. His hawkish credentials will help secure support for concessions in Israel.
The commitment of the Bush administration is a critical variable. For the past year, American policy has been one of willful neglect. The world begged for American intervention. But the administration said that until the Palestinians chose a leadership that actively opposed terror, there was nothing to mediate. Wait, it added, the region will look different after the Iraq war.
Those conditions have been met, and Secretary of State Colin Powell has been to the region and will return to push the road map, which was written in cooperation with the United Nations, the European Union and Russia. All involved, including Europe and the Arab states, must do everything possible to keep Yasir Arafat from undermining Mr. Abbas.
The road map's alternative is more bloodshed. That dismal prospect is the best reason for Israel and the Palestinians to embrace the peace plan. A Jewish state can only be viable on part of the land controlled by Israel, and a Palestinian state can only come about through compromise. People do not always act in their own best interests. Getting them to do so in this case may prove harder and require more political courage than overthrowing Saddam Hussein.