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Source: http://www.upi.com/view.cfm?StoryID=20040217-122652-5861r
The Palestinians' Choice
(UPI) Alon Ben-Meir - The decision of Israeli Prime Minister Sharon to evacuate most of the settlements in Gaza and several settlements in the West Bank offers the Palestinians an opportunity to resume peace negotiations with Israel in earnest. Nearly 3 1/2 years of intense violence, especially suicide bombings, have gradually convinced Sharon that only physical separation can protect his people from the wanton violence that has left every Israeli with deep emotional scars. The Palestinian leadership must stop kidding itself by disregarding security as Sharon's main motivation in this situation. The writer is Middle East Project Director at the World Policy Institute in New York and a professor of International Relations at New York University.