Yossi Beilin

Yossi Beilin and Yasser Abed Rabbo

Jerusalem - It was with great disappointment that we followed the Israeli

cabinet debate and vote last week, just 12 days after the Sharm Summit,

authorizing the "improved route" of the separation barrier.

Meron Rapoport in Ha'aretz (February 24) "And now the fence is embraced by

the left?" suggested that the Geneva Initiative welcomed this development.

He was wrong. Both the substance and the process of the decision were

deeply flawed.

In substance, the barrier route serves neither Israeli nor Palestinian

interests. It took three years and a Defense Ministry Special Committee to

realize what we all knew regarding the home demolition policy - namely,

that in addition to being immoral, it actually increases anger and

hostility among the Palestinian population.

by Yossi Beilin

The election of Mahmoud Abbas (also known as Abu Mazen) in Palestinian

voting Sunday came as no surprise. The organized election process, the

lively campaign and the openness to the media have all proved once again

that if a Palestinian state is established it will be the first Arab

democracy. But the state has not yet been established, and the system now

headed by Abbas is not much more than a stage set.

The real question is not whether Abbas is genuinely ready for peace and

will start combating terrorism tomorrow but whether the United States,

Europe and Israel are prepared to seize this rare opportunity: the election

as Palestinian leader of a pragmatic person who has taken part in all the

peace processes with Israel and who courageously came out against the use

of violence in the most recent intifada.

Today Abbas does not need to prove himself. At 69, he is one of the more

"transparent" politicians in the region. His books, speeches, interviews

and actions are well known. Even during the most difficult moments of the

recent election campaign, he went out of his way to condemn the rockets

fired against Israel by Hamas, for which he and his policies came under

heavy criticism from Islamic elements.