Ariel Sharon

On the eve of his meeting with Abu Mazen and President Bush, Ariel Sharon refuses to make any significant Israeli gesture, and makes do with slender steps that have been tried in the past and failed. His demand for a determined war by the Palestinian authority against terror is justified, and should form the basis of any future negotiations and agreement.

But Israel is also required to contribute its share by clarifying the "political horizon" and making tangible its readiness for compromise. That is an Israeli interest, and not a surrender to dictates and American pressure. The results of the Powell visit show that the current American administration is still averse to deep involvement in the Israeli-Palestinian dispute and prefers to leave the responsibility to the parties.

The burden is therefore on Sharon's shoulders. If he sticks to his support for the settlements, the current opportunity for an end to the conflict will also be missed.

-- Haaretz, Tel Aviv, Israel

;JP;AP; ANPAk..r.. Otherop-reforms-Arabs On reforms helping Arabs JP/6/OTHER17

On reforms helping Arabs

Two clear patterns have emerged in the post-Sept. 11 era: Arab countries have answered the call to help the United States track down genuine terrorists but the Americans have been anything but appreciative. Explaining why this has been so requires more than an understanding of the familiar differences of opinion over what constitutes terror and what qualifies as legitimate resistance. The gap between the Arab world's actions and the Americans' responses demonstrates the former's inability to produce governments with the standing to make their case in the latter's terms. The United States sees nothing but rot when it looks at Arab regimes, and with good reason: Many Arabs see precisely the same thing.

-- Daily Star, Beirut, Lebanon