Hebron shows peace is possible

For a long time, it looked like talks between Israel and the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) would never end in agreement on the West Bank town of Hebron. Then, in a final flurry lasting three days, the two sides signed a pact acceptable to both.

The pact signed earlier this week means Israel will begin withdrawing its troops from Hebron next week. It will pull out of the entire West Bank by late next year. There will be joint Israeli-Palestinian security patrols, a realistic but stark reminder that violence is never far away in the Middle East.

The Hebron agreement was signed after another strange, midnight meeting between Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel's prime minister, and Yasser Arafat, president of the Palestinian movement. There were handshakes all around, including between the two principal players. But observers noted two things. Neither Netanyahu nor Arafat were smiling. And neither of the men spoke to the crowds of reporters and TV cameras carrying their historic moment to their own people and the world.

The chief spokesman at the Erez Crossing summit was an American official. U.S. envoy Dennis Ross deserves a lot of credit for helping to bring about the Hebron agreement.

It was somewhat strange, however, to see the outsider as a spokesman, while the principal decisionmakers remained silent. To many, this symbolized not only the difficult negotiations that finally brought about the Hebron agreement but also signaled more problems for the future.

Rightist Israelis have already begun condemning Netanyahu over the Hebron deal. Palestinian extremists are just as numerous, and just as opposed to Arafat's bravery in the past four years of trying to establish peace. The security of Jewish people in Hebron and other West Bank areas is an issue which must be addressed -- although the Hebron deal has postponed it for another two and a half years.

The plain truth is that outsiders must continue to support Israelis, Palestinians and others in the Middle East who long for a fair peace.

Leaders of America, Egypt and Jordan must continue to help in striving for peace in the Middle East. Other nations, including Thailand, should offer to help if they can.

The Hebron deal is the first major step agreed to by Netanyahu. It shows that he, too, is willing to move toward peace. Other countries must encourage such advances.

-- The Bangkok Post