Back to the brink

Peace in West Asia is central to war against terrorism

PRESIDENT George W Bush has no choice but to give the topmost priority to keeping the peace between Israel and the Palestinians. The assassination of an Israeli cabinet minister, Rehavam Zeevi, by the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine is an extremely grave provocation that shatters the fragile Israeli-Palestinian ceasefire and could set in motion a chain of events that would be far worse than anything seen in the region during the last violent year. It puts the international coalition against terrorism in serious jeopardy. Great courage and wisdom on the part of Israeli and Palestinian leaders will be required to halt the cycle of bloody action and reaction. But the evidence of history is that neither leadership will be able to do this on its own. The Americans must act and act quickly to create a firebreak between the two sides.

Before September 11’s terrorist atrocities, Bush distanced himself from West Asia in the belief that, after the failure of the intense Camp David negotiations held during President Clinton’s last months in office, there was not much more Washington could do until the Israelis and Palestinians found their own way towards resuming the peace process. To many that seemed a sensible policy for a new administration. Dragged back into the West Asian maelstrom after September 11, Washington intensified pressure on Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Chairman Yasser Arafat to work out a ceasefire arrangement. Until the Zeevi murder there was reason to hope that after some false starts, Sharon and Arafat might be able to hold down the level of violence, if not actually maintain a ceasefire. Indeed 24 hours before the killing, Israel seemed confident enough to start lifting restrictions on the movement of Palestinians into Israel.

Given the kind of suspicions the Arab world is believed to harbour, it may not appear prudent for the Americans to play too conspicuous a role in West Asia while the bombardment of Afghanistan goes on and radical Islamists are preparing to bring people out into the streets in many countries. However, popular reaction can be subdued and suspicions calmed if the Palestinian leadership and regional Arab governments are seen to welcome US intervention as they must because there is no other alternative. Arafat has roundly condemned terrorism and is committed to supporting the American campaign. He must therefore somehow respond to Israeli demands to hand over the PFLP killers. At the same time, he must avoid Palestinian demonstrations of the kind witnessed in Gaza last week and challenges to his own authority from hardliners. Sharon could help Arafat do what he must to meet the ends of justice by toning down his language and holding back his tanks. Colossal effort is needed to prevent more bloodshed. There is a sense of impending doom, of a relentless slide towards a Greek tragedy. But there are enormous wellsprings of courage, moderation and sanity in Israel and the Palestinian territories. There can and must be hope of peace.