A rocky road ahead
It is perhaps symbolic of the situation in the Middle East that Palestinian autonomy in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip did not exactly get off the ground with what one would call a good start. Some 2,500 attending international dignitaries and millions of television viewers around the world stood witness as the signing of the autonomy agreement in Cairo on Wednesday was almost aborted when PLO leader Yasser Arafat balked and refused to sign the maps that were attached to the document. Arafat reportedly demanded assurances, underwritten by the United States, Russia and Egypt, that the size of the Palestinian enclave of Jericho would remain negotiable.
The fact that, in the end, Arafat acquiesced after a 20-minute huddle with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, U.S. Secretary of State Warren Christopher and his Russian, Egyptian and Israeli counterparts, cannot hide the grim realities that remain on the path towards achieving a true and lasting peace in the Middle East. Practically as the signing ceremony in Cairo shifted into gear, continuing clashes and protests in the troubled occupied territories underscored the difficulties which the leaders of both Palestine and Israel will certainly have to face for a considerable time to come.
In Jericho, where Arafat is expected to set up his headquarters, violent clashes were reported between Israeli soldiers and Palestinian youngsters, who attacked an Israeli police station in the town, ripping off a sign and replacing it with a picture of Yasser Arafat and the late PLO military commander Abu Jihad. At the same time, hardline Israeli legislators were reported to have signed a covenant of allegiance to all parts of "greater Israel," including the "promised lands" of Gaza and Jericho.
Clearly, while the signing of the Cairo agreement is a giant step towards peace in the Middle East, a considerable amount of reserve is warranted. As one Palestinian women put it: "All our celebrations in the past have been for nothing. We have stopped expecting anything so that we will not be disappointed. But we still live on hope."
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has deep and sensitive roots. Unfortunately, so does the mistrust between the two sides. Twenty-seven years of Israeli occupation and months of stalled peace negotiations have certainly not helped to build a greater confidence or grow a better understanding between the two peoples.
Nevertheless, the Middle East must live on hope and, yes, also on dreams, or even less may be accomplished. Given all its shortcomings, we certainly hope that the agreement signed in Cairo on Wednesday will finally bring true peace and freedom within the reach of the Palestinians, even if gradually. When that goal is attained, the no less formidable task of reconstruction will be waiting. Curiously, to a degree, the same goes for the Israelis. Surely an endless conflict benefits no one, in the Middle East or the world.