A fateful date

Palestinians and Israelis are fast approaching a fateful date. By May 4, 1999 the final issues of the Oslo peace accord should be worked out, as that is when the accord expires.

Palestinian President Yasser Arafat has clearly stated that if no progress is made by that date he will declare an independent Palestinian state. Arafat is not only threatening, he's serious. Hard-line Likud Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will tolerate living in a state of no-war no-peace for ever rather than see a Palestinian entity emerge.

He has threatened on many occasions to respond to a Palestinian declaration of independence by unilaterally annexing parts of the West Bank or reoccupying the autonomous areas.

The U.S. appears to have finally realized the risks inherent in the continued stalemate in Palestinian-Israeli negotiations, a stalemate caused primarily by Netanyahu's delaying tactics.

The road is clear, immediate redeployment from 13.1 percent of the West Bank coupled with negotiations over a third redeployment and a parallel start of final status talks. This is what the Palestinians, Jordan, Egypt the U.S. and the European Union have been urging Netanyahu to do. Will he?

-- The Jordan Times, Amman