(Ha'aretz) Danny Rubinstein - Make no mistake: Abu Mazen may wear a suit, he may not jump on tables or shout that a million martyrs will march to Jerusalem, but his demands from Israel are no different than Arafat's were. Abu Mazen is not expected to order his security forces to wipe out terror or to stop firing missiles from Gaza, as many in Israel would wish him to do. Abu Mazen hopes to convince the Palestinian factions that a cease-fire and a decision to take the political road will bring them closer to their goal than violence will. He knows he has to close down the quasi-private militias. Abu Mazen aims to make Hamas and the other factions legitimate political parties.
2005-01-10 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive