|
Trending Topics
|
Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/26/opinion/26thu2.html
Mr. Abbas Goes to Washington
(New York Times) Editorial - After a five-year ban, the president of the Palestinian Authority will finally be welcomed at the White House. Israeli officials are right when they say that Mr. Abbas must actually dismantle factories in Gaza where they say militants are using the cease-fire to build rockets to lob at Israel. More rockets are the last thing either Israelis or Palestinians need, and if Hamas and other militant groups are indeed resting up and restocking their ammunition to launch more attacks, then Mr. Abbas would do well to crack down now. Mr. Sharon wants Mr. Bush to pressure Mr. Abbas to crack down on Hamas, and Mr. Bush should do so. Israeli officials haven't exactly been blameless themselves; Mr. Sharon is continuing his ill-advised plan to build new houses in the settlement of Maale Adumim. Handled properly, the Gaza withdrawal could re-energize prospects for peace. But if it degenerates into a violent showdown between settlers and the Israeli Army, with Hamas unhelpfully throwing rockets at settlers on their way out of Gaza, any chance of returning to the road map will be lost. Mr. Bush's challenge today is to lean hard on Mr. Abbas to do all he can to keep a lid on Hamas. But while he's pressuring Mr. Abbas, Mr. Bush would also do well to send a message to his good friend Mr. Sharon. The road to peace, after all, is a two-way street.