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Give Peace a Second Chance?

(Jerusalem Post) Khaled Abu Toameh - Adnan Abu Sneineh, 36, a high school teacher from eastern Jerusalem, said, "I voted for Abu Mazen because he's Israel's friend and maybe he would be able to remove the checkpoints and the separation wall and improve the economy. The Israelis and Americans like him very much, so there's hope. We want to live a normal life, like all human beings, because we are tired. We want to give peace a second chance." After four years of fighting, which have resulted in thousands of casualties and the destruction of the economy and infrastructure, a steadily increasing number of Palestinians are now convinced that the time has finally arrived for real changes. Abbas's message to the Palestinians is: Now that the armed struggle has failed, it's time to start collecting the pieces and return to the negotiating table because we are likely to achieve more by talking than shooting. Abbas promised during the election campaign to follow in Arafat's footsteps, but those who know him say they nearly fell off their chairs when they heard him talk so highly of his predecessor. It's no secret that Abbas and Arafat were at loggerheads for many years. "Arafat regarded Abu Mazen as a threat to his leadership and did almost everything he could to block him," said a veteran Fatah official. Abbas will spend the first few weeks in power trying to persuade Hamas and other armed groups to accept a hudna (temporary truce) with Israel. The movement's leaders in Syria and Lebanon are strongly opposed to any form of cease-fire, while its representatives in the West Bank and Gaza, who have been forced to go underground for fear of being targeted by Israel, appear to have softened their position.
2005-01-15 00:00:00
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