MIDDLE
EAST PEACE, ALMOST
5 December 2003
The
peace talks held in Geneva, Switzerland, between Palestinian
and Israeli negotiators yielded a final peace agreement
that reportedly ends "all claims on both sides".
This agreement was conducted outside the official
mandate of either the Sharon government or the Palestinian
Authority. PA President Yasser Arafat called the talks
a "brave initiative", but did not openly
endorse the process or the result. Ariel Sharon called
the talks "seditious".
A
"Fatah signatory" told the Jersualem post
that "Our aim was to create divisions inside
Israel and block the growth of the right-wing".
Optimistic drafters of the agreement said it marked
a new opportunity to move toward a real compromise
and establish lasting peace. Other participants have
said the goal was to inspire the imagination of officials
on both sides, to spur a new cooperative peace initiative
or a return to the Road
Map.
Israeli
delegate Daniel Levy told the Brookings Institution
on Wednesday that the Geneva Accord, specifically
in respect to East Jerusalem as capital of Palestine,
simply recognizes the reality that already exists.
He also said that without a persistent effort to create
a lasting peace through a two-state solution, democracy
and security in Israel can only suffer.
The
talks were endorsed by three Nobel Peace Laureates:
Nelson Mandela, Lech Walesa and former US President
Carter. Support in the region was mixed, though both
sides of the negotiation say there was a surprising
amount of support among their own populations.
Egypt's
Al-Ahram
says one poll shows 56% of Palestinians supporting
the Geneva Accord. No official faction endorsed the
accord, suggesting a severe divide between the will
of the Palestinian public and their political representation.
Younger groups, formed through the recent years of
violence were more opposed to the accord than even
the political establishment and the major resistance
groups. Palestinian signatories were accused of treason
by the Al-Aqsa martyrs brigade and sought protection
from PA leader Arafat. This suggests that the violence
on both sides is having a corrosive effect, and that
in spite of the Geneva Accord, real hopes for peace
are as far off as ever.
The
Financial
Times of London is reporting that Sharon's popularity
has slipped to its lowest level since he took office.
Though there appears to be little support for the
Geneva Accord among Israelis, 59% say they are dissatisfied
with Sharon's handling of the conflict. The numbers
are thought to stem from the collapse of a ceasefire
declared by militants last June, which many blame
on Sharon. The ceasefire ended when Hamas killed 20
in Jerusalem, an attack reported as a response to
Israel's killing 20 Palestinians during the actual
ceasefire. [For more: FT]
