Abbas sits atop a newly invigorated Palestinian Authority; the West Bank is completely secure. They want peace but will adopt a one-state solution if Netanyahu turns his back on Palestinian progress. Israel must act now.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice’s recent meeting with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert failed to revive the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. It should be unsurprising.
The way forward is to concentrate on solving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which, because the many problems of the region are so interlinked, can create, in turn, momentum for dealing with the other regional disputes that feed it.
It is a testament to the sad state of affairs that Abbas’s seemingly bold words are met both with derision from Israelis and outrage from Palestinians.
Sure, the thriving and robust Palestinian economy is nice. But the Palestinians have turned their backs on prosperity before, and Hamas would relish the role of spoiler.
