December 10, 2003

Jordan Times

Trying Again and Again

Editorial

Palestinian President Yasser Arafat and Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia, together with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, had hoped to reach an agreement to break the spiral of violence, so that the roadmap could be given a chance and a final settlement could finally come within reach.

Most of the reasons cited by some Palestinian factions for not suspending all military activities against Israel were understandable, but it would have served the Palestinian quest for independence and statehood had they gone the extra mile to secure a ceasefire.

What is required by all Palestinian and Israeli leaders at this stage is the courage to take unilateral steps to secure peace, to unconditionally make choices for the peaceful future of their people. All peace processes that have worked so far have been sustained by an essential ingredient: The courage to trust that the other party will reciprocate not only confidence-building measures, but also peace-building steps.

By refusing to halt their armed struggle for a certain time, Hamas and other Palestinian factions have in effect played into the hands of Israeli hardliners, who never wanted the roadmap to succeed.

Hamas has also provided precious ammunition to the Israeli anti-peace camp, which is now using the failure of the Cairo talks as proof that the majority of Palestinians were never serious about peace in the first place.

These are not times for military considerations.

Statesmanship would have warranted a truce of sorts so that the ball would once again be in the Israeli court.

Now it may be that the international community will view the Palestinian factions as culprits who refused to give peace a chance.

Still, despair must not be allowed to set in.

Fresh efforts must be exerted to reach not just another short-lived ceasefire, but a long-term truce.

If the Palestinian leadership is determined to achieve a truce that would really put to the test Israeli intentions, it must try again and again to negotiate such a truce till it happens.