Global effort to end Mideast strife

Vasily Rogov, Historian, RIA Novosti, Moscow

For over 18 months now reports from the zone of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict have been resembling summaries of military operations. The number of killed and wounded is rapidly growing, to say nothing of the heavy material damage.

Despite all international efforts, actions of mediators, numerous statements, there is no light at the end of the tunnel. The Arab-Israeli confrontation is the most dangerous conflict of modern times.

Since Sept. 11, Osama Bin Laden has reiterated that the United States cannot feel safe unless the Palestinian issue is settled.

Neither side is prepared to sit at the negotiating table. People are dying every day. Naturally, the bloodshed leads to strengthening the positions of extremists.

It is not by chance that the positions of those who believe that it is necessary to rout the Palestinians by armed force or as they say, "kill dozens of thousands of people" are strengthening in the Israeli leadership.

Many Palestinians accuse the U.S. of taking a pro-Israeli stand, claiming that Washington cannot play the role of an honest broker. Hence, very weak hopes for the mission of U.S. Gen. Anthony Zinni.

The line for unilateral pressure on the Palestinians alone will not lead to peace in the Middle East. It is fraught with new upheavals. An important point is that the initial cause of the crisis was the occupation of Arab lands. Humiliation engenders hatred and despair.

The vicious circle of violence can only be broken by joint international efforts. For this, a cardinally different view of the situation is needed. The agreements signed in Oslo in 1993 did not justify the hopes pinned on them. A different basis is needed to put the peace process on a firm footing. Perhaps, this could be done only by convening another Madrid conference.

Our country, as a co-sponsor of this process, could, together with the European Union, whose positions are very close to ours, take the initiative and convince the U.S. that at this moment such a step would be the best way out of the situation.

Sober-minded people who are aware that confrontation with the Arabs may put the survival of Israel in question are gaining in strength and authority in Israel itself.

It is worth heeding the proposal of R. Hakohen, a professor from Tel-Aviv University, who believes that the period of peace talks has not actually brought settlement closer (say, the construction of settlements in occupied territories was actively going on during the talks). This is why Israel must now act unilaterally and begin dismantling the settlements.

The settlers must be promised generous compensations. The vacated homes may be handed over to part of Palestinian refugees. New homes will start to be built for settlers in Israel and unemployment will be reduced. Terrorism will stop because Palestinians will see that occupation is ending.

The proposed plan may be helpful; what is needed is political will, and practical actions of the international community.

Without working out a clear-cut basis for the way out of the crisis and determining the procedure for solving such issues as the borders of the future Palestinian state, the status of Jerusalem and the settlement of the problem of Palestinian refugees, the situation will be taking on a more and more ominous character.