Drive toward Mideast peace requires steady U.S. hand
May 1, 2003

The Bush administration finally is breathing some life into a Middle East peace process that has lain dormant during 31 months of tragic violence in the region. On Wednesday, it released a long-awaited "road map" drawn up to guide Israel and a new reformist Palestinian government to a final destination: a Jewish and Palestinian state living peacefully together in 2005.

The road map imposes tough concessions on both sides as they travel through three checkpoints: ending Palestinian terrorism and new Israeli settlements, creating a democratic Palestinian state and establishing permanent borders. But unmarked detours abound. Hours before international mediators distributed the plan, a Palestinian suicide bomber killed three Israelis at a bar in Tel Aviv. Meanwhile, Israeli troops admitted killing a Palestinian in occupied southern Gaza, and Palestinian witnesses said Israeli forces killed two others.

The bloodshed underscores a reality reinforced by a long history of Middle East peace attempts: Surviving the treacherous highway requires the U.S. to nudge both parties along. That means actively taking on the role of an honest broker committed to reversing the vicious cycle of tit-for-tat violence that has blocked progress toward peace.

Until now, the Bush administration too often has acted as a surrogate for its close ally, Israel, rather than as a mediator. Its excuse has been that it could not work with Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat because of his links to terrorism and corrupt rule. With Tuesday's swearing in of moderate Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas, the U.S. has an opportunity to reassume a more influential role as peacemaker.

Indeed, President Bush demonstrated Wednesday that the U.S. is prepared to use its unique clout by inviting Abbas to the White House, a gesture he refused Arafat.

As Secretary of State Colin Powell prepares to head to the region, the U.S. can start changing the destructive dynamics that have prolonged the fighting by:

• Empowering moderate Palestinians to halt terrorism. Abbas needs to step from behind Arafat's shadow and build authority. Hard-line factions swiftly rejected his calls Tuesday for an end to terrorism. The U.S. can support him by providing economic and political aid, pressuring Israel to show restraint in responding to terrorist attacks and seeking pledges from Arab nations to denounce terrorism.
• Pressuring Israel to give up settlements. The U.S. can lean on Israel to dismantle many of the settlements on Palestinian land that are now home to 400,000 Israelis. It also can urge Israel to ease its crackdown on Palestinians and begin withdrawing from occupied territories without waiting for all suicide attacks to end, as Israeli Prime minister Ariel Sharon demands.

The difficult road to peace is not dissimilar from the long route Northern Ireland is traveling. That road also has been marked by treacherous detours and breakdowns. Yet with the U.S. serving as a mediator between Catholics and Protestants, Northern Ireland has made great progress.

By embracing the same role now in the Mideast, the U.S. can help move two longtime enemies toward a destination that Israelis and Palestinians deserve to reach.