(Los Angeles Times) - David Horovitz Abbas does not set the Palestinian agenda. That privilege remains the domain of Yasser Arafat. While Arafat tops every Palestinian leadership popularity survey, Abbas barely figures. It is in Israel's prime interest that the Sharon government assure the international community, its own people, and the Palestinian public that it is anxious to get back to the serious negotiation the road map envisages. Israel needs to stress that it longs for the day when it can safely withdraw its troops from their forward positions around and inside West Bank cities, confident that an efficient PA security force is engaged in a concerted effort to prevent new waves of bombers and gunmen from filling the vacuum.
2003-05-27 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive