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| Kathmandu, Tuesday April 23, 2002 Baishakh 10, 2059. |
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Signs of hope
Bowing to the international pressure, Israel has
withdrawn its forces from Nablus, the West Bank city. Israel’s more than 3-week long
offensive against the Palestinians, which could have given a new but dangerous twist to
the Middle East crisis, shows now signs of ease with the pull-out. Prime Minister Ariel
Sharon ultimately gave in to the advice and deadline set by US President George W Bush.
Although the troops continue their siege of the Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat’s
Headquarters in Ramallah, the Israeli government ultimately pulled out from other areas in
its periphery. It will be too early to expect that this would lead to fruitful
negotiations, but the worst has been averted at least for now.
Almost seven years after former US President
Clinton brought the top leaders of Israel and Palestine convincing both sides that
peaceful negotiations were the best way to find a solution to any prolonged crisis and
held a couple of summits in between, things did not move in the desired direction.
Targetting civilians by the Palestinian suicide bombers and increase in the level of
violence followed by the Israeli retaliation in much more ferocious manner disappointed
the international community. The April two siege of Arafat’s Headquarters by Israeli
troops, giving him little excess to the world outside, was perhaps the most brazen
instance in the recent conflict. Yet, diplomacy can do what wars can’t. The United
Nations played a crucial role too by assuring the Palestinians that a fact finding team
would be sent to the camps which could even explore the trial of senior Israeli leaders by
the International Criminal Court. US Secretary of State Colin Powell rushed to Israel to
cajole, even threaten or convince his ally not to give up the peace effort. President Bush
was no less involved in the effort. Obviously, the pullout from the West Bank was the
obvious pre-condition. In fact, Arafat made things easier by agreeing to condemn violence
and terrorism in all forms-that included suicide bombings and killings of civilians by his
own followers - to facilitate the pullout. Israel also agreed to provide full and complete
access to relief agencies in the Palestinian camps.
It’s not known how far the UN can go to
achieve peace in the area. But an effective continuity of the peace process that began
with Clinton’s initiative looks still relevant. Of course, a larger involvement of
the world community, including the European commission and the Arab world, would catalyse
the peace process. Arafat has not only denounced terrorism, he has also sort of indicated
that the suicide bombers and militant Islamic groups could be arrested if the Israeli army
blockades were withdrawn. The root of the problems lies in complex things like religious
and territorial sentimentality, and the division of a ‘state in the present
form’. It has defied solution for nearly half a century, and solution will not be
easy now. But constant international pressure and watch will definitely help arrest the
situation before it slips out of hand. |
