Conflicting signs

There are conflicting signs coming from the PA. In a major campaign speech
last Saturday, Mahmoud Abbas, acting President and front-runner in the PA
elections, expressed hard-line positions in which he stated emphatically
that "I won't turn guns on my own people." Referring to Hamas and other
terrorist groups he said that the Israelis call them "murderers" but we call
them "strugglers." On the other hand, he did not call for a continuation of
terrorist violence and suicide bombings. He did however demand that in
order to achieve peace Israel must return to the pre-1967 borders, end the
occupation of Palestinian lands and allow all the Palestinian refugees to
return . In Israel this is seen as inevitable posturing for his election
campaign. It is hoped that some softening in his positions will occur if or
when actual negotiations take place.
In an unprecedented move, over 500 prominent Palestinians, including
Ministers in the PA, top officials, legislators, writers, intellectuals and
poets called for an end to violence against Israelis. This was published as
an 'open letter' in a major Palestinian newspaper. Entitled "What we want
from the elected President," this included appeals for an end to chaos,
democracy, transparency and reform. It is inconceivable that such an open
appeal could have been published under Arafat.
At the same time, fighting continues. About 40 mortar shells were fired at
the Gush Katif settlement bloc over the weekend, notwithstanding previous
IDF attacks on Rafah, and although no-one was killed the settlers are mad.
They are convinced that the IDF is under orders not to protect them so that
they will be forced to move. Certainly the terrorist groups are trying to
make it appear that they are forcing Israeli withdrawal.
Meanwhile on the West Bank, a group of Israeli special forces came under
fire while trying to arrest the deputy leader of the al Aksa Martyr's
Brigades in Jenin. In the gunfight that followed and the destruction of his
house, Taher abu Kamal was killed. In another gunfight in Tulkarm, three
Palestinians were killed and a fourth captured. One of them was 16 years
old.
In Israel, the road to the National Unity Government continues, with the
Labor Party, voting to join the coalition and selecting several younger
candidates for the 7 Ministerial positions that Sharon and Peres have agreed
upon. Surprisingly, Ofer Pines-Paz received the highest number of votes and
has accepted the position of Interior Minister. But, the process is slow
because each Minister must negotiate his own position with Peres. And this
does not include the positions that Sharon has set aside for Shas should
they agree to join the coalition government. Naturally there is much
criticism in Israel over the long drawn out and unseemly jockeying for
positions. Many think that the Israeli system needs significant reform.
So it seems that both the PA and Israel will get new governments at roughly
the same time in January, 2005, both under internal pressure to reform and
both hopefully willing to enter negotiations for a peace settlement. Let's
hope that 2005 will be the year of cessation of violence and a beginning of
the end of the seemingly eternal conflict. Amid conflicting signs we must
live in hope.