Commentary: Action Needed to Bolster Abbas

Feb. 9, 2005 — -- This week's summit meeting between Israeli and Palestinian leaders in Egypt is a welcome first step in a long, complex and risky journey.

Its importance is symbolic and psychological, not substantive. The two parties could not agree on a joint declaration of a cease-fire or signatures on a document. Instead, they announced a de facto cease-fire.

Major differences exist between the Palestinian and Israeli leadership on security and the political-diplomatic track. There is a long distance to travel to reach the safe harbor of peace.

I do not mean to belittle the significance of the Israeli-Arab gathering in Egypt. On the contrary, it has created a new momentum and, if concrete steps are taken in the weeks and months ahead, the dynamics of Palestinian-Israeli relations could positively change.

In the last four years, the drums of war drowned calls for politics, diplomacy and rationality. Now, the equation is being reversed. After their confidence-building measures, it would be reassuring to see if the two sides would move forward and tackle the thorny issues of peace-making, including the borders of a future Palestinian state, Israeli security, Jewish settlements, the status of east Jerusalem and Palestinian refugees.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is caught between a rock -- American and Israeli demands to put an end to the armed Intifada (which he didunilaterally) -- and a hard place -- Hamas and Jihad's calls on him to remain steadfast and not to make further concessions. Abbas has to show Palestinian public opinion that he is making progress. He has to convince his people that there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

Palestinians are observing Abbas very closely to see if he can deliver the goods. If Israel and the United States are genuine about this new hopeful moment, they must work hard to support Abbas and give Palestinians a stake in the future.

Although Abbas convinced Hamas and Jihad, radical Islamist organizations, to agree to a temporary cease-fire, the latter's spokesmen in the Gaza Strip struck a cautionary note, saying they would evaluate the summit before committing themselves to halting their military campaign against Israeli occupation.