Sueddeutsche Zeitung, Munich, Germany, on prospects for peace in the Middle East Since the death of Palestinian President Yasser Arafat, a mood has been spreading in the Middle East that had not been felt for a long time: optimism. All
Sueddeutsche Zeitung, Munich, Germany, on prospects for peace in the Middle East
Since the death of Palestinian President Yasser Arafat, a mood has been spreading in the Middle East that had not been felt for a long time: optimism.
All the signals are pointing toward a new beginning in relations between the Palestinians and Israel. Arafat is history; now only the future counts.
In January already, the Palestinians will choose a new president — something that the old one had prevented with the excuse that elections were impossible under Israeli occupation.
In order to support the Palestinian people on the road to democracy, hardly a day passes on which the European Union or the United States do not send high-ranking representatives to the region. …
Still, the positive signals are being overshadowed by Israel’s government crisis.
The prime minister now governs with only 40 lawmakers in the 120-strong parliament. Only if his Likud party agrees to include the Labor party in the government can new elections be prevented.
Election campaigns in Israel have never been a good time for progress in the peace process.
