A
Glimmer of Hope for Peace
(Signs of the Time - March 2005)
Since the reestablishment of the nation of Israel in 1948, it has been in a constant state of conflict. The six-day war, the Yom Kippur war, and the attacks on Entebbe are just a small sampling of the types of combat Israel has waged since her modern regathering. During the past six years, the major threat has come from the Palestinian people.
Against this background, there is now a glimmer of hope that peace may be achieved in the near future.
A new era
On February 8, 2005, the New York Times reported that the Palestinians
and Israelis have spoken in a face-to-face meeting for the first time
in five years. “The Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas met with
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon of Israel today and afterward described the
talks as ‘the beginning of a new era.’” The good
news is that it is indeed a new beginning for both parties; the bad news
is that the entire ‘agreement’ is based solely on a verbal
promise rather than a binding contract, or, in biblical terms, a covenant.
The report continued: “Mr. Abbas said the Palestinians had agreed
to cease all attacks against the Israelis, and that attacks on Palestinians
by Israelis would also stop.” The announcements added to the
growing momentum toward reviving a peace effort that was stalled until
the death of Yasir Arafat, the Palestinian leader, in November. But while
these were considered the most hopeful signs in more than a year, there
were also warnings of potential pitfalls ahead.
Israeli and Palestinian officials characterized the actions as a cease-fire,
but there will be no joint declarations or signatures on a document. Sharon
and Abbas will unilaterally declare their intent to stop attacks, but
each will emphasize that progress will depend on steps taken by the other
side. “We expect a declaration on the Palestinian side of the
cessation of armed conflict, the intifada,” said Raanan Gissin,
Sharon’s spokesman. “Israel will also make a unilateral
declaration that says if the Palestinians cease fire, we will refrain
from military activity.”
History of failure
To put these statements in perspective, during the past four years, ten
announcements of a cease fire have been followed by a resumption of violence.
However, the new initiative may have a greater chance of cooperation after
the death of Arafat. The whole handshake agreement lies with the ability
of Abbas to rein in the militant Palestinian factions, particularly the
Hamas organization.
Hamas has always rejected peace talks with Israel, which it refuses to
recognize, but during 2003, while Abbas was the prime minister, he did
persuade Hamas to halt attacks for a brief period, and he has been in
regular contact with the group since his recent electoral win.
A senior Palestinian official indicated that the summit meeting would
declare “a resumption of political relations and a mutual cease-fire.”
But, as reported in the New York Times, “Palestinian officials
cautioned that Israel would have to follow through on its promises to
pull back its forces from West Bank cities and discontinue its attacks
on Palestinians if the new arrangement were to work.”
Efforts to make it work
Within 36 hours of the agreement, 20 mortars and two rockets rained down
on the main Jewish settlement bloc in the southwestern corner of Gaza.
Hamas claimed responsibility for the action and this could have been the
quick end to a fresh start. But within minutes of the attack, Abbas fired
three of his security chiefs. In addition he convened an emergency session
of the Central Committee of his Fatah movement, and they denounced the
attacks by Hamas and other factions. The committee called the shelling
“irresponsible acts that harm our security and the high national
interests of our people.”
The Bible student will be watching this latest peace initiative with great
interest to see if it leads to a meaningful condition of peace and security
in this area of profound biblical significance.
George Rayner