Why the Peace Process Moves - WP

[Wonk]

Why the Peace Process Moves
By Jackson Diehl
Monday, July 21, 2003; Page A21

The paradox of the latest Israeli-Palestinian peace process is that just about everyone charged with carrying it out is deeply skeptical it can succeed -- yet somehow, week after week, it crawls slowly forward.

Senior Israeli officials grumble that Palestinian security forces are still dodging the job of dismantling the armed extremist organizations in the Gaza Strip, even if a cease-fire has mostly held for the past three weeks. But one official couldn't help marveling last week over the change on Palestinian state television, which has taken to broadcasting footage of children singing peace songs in Hebrew.

(snip)

So how does the process survive? It turns out that the intransigence and weakness of the three septuagenarian leaders is balanced by a surprisingly strong surge of public opinion in support of the process -- on both the Israeli and Palestinian sides. Polls have been showing that more than two-thirds of both peoples want the peace process to go forward. Moreover, Israeli surveys show substantial majorities opposed to further assassinations of Palestinian militants and in favor of the dismantling of settlements; Palestinian polls show strong backing for the cease-fire. Last week a leading Palestinian pollster, Khalil Shikaki, deconstructed a favorite boogeyman of hard-liners on both sides: Most Palestinians, he found, would accept a negotiated solution that acknowledged but restricted the right of Palestinian refugees to settle in Israel, and relatively few of the refugees would choose to do so.

more...

[Aaron]

1. Good news is nice to see

"Polls have been showing that more than two-thirds of both peoples want the peace process to go forward. Moreover, Israeli surveys show substantial majorities opposed to further assassinations of Palestinian militants and in favor of the dismantling of settlements; Palestinian polls show strong backing for the cease-fire. Last week a leading Palestinian pollster, Khalil Shikaki, deconstructed a favorite boogeyman of hard-liners on both sides: Most Palestinians, he found, would accept a negotiated solution that acknowledged but restricted the right of Palestinian refugees to settle in Israel, and relatively few of the refugees would choose to do so."

Being relatively new to I/P issues I may be missing something but all of the above that I quoted seems like good news for all involved to me. Is there something I'm missing or can I go on being happy at reading this?

[Gimel]

2. Keep smiling

the news is good, or at least not hopeless. A more viable PA structure has put life into the process. We're moving forward, although the potential for derailing is there. The largest hurdle, terrorism, has made a temporary truce, we hope it becomes a habit.

[Darranar]

3. Not so fast...

that hurdle may remain for quite a while, judging by the news.

[bemildred]

4. This is very important.

It is the dawning realization, on both sides,
that there is no military solution to be had.
Now, kicking and screaming and dragging their feet,
political leaders will be forced to confront what a
real political solution might look like, something
almost everybody can live with, instead of dying for.

[Gimel]

5. Is Hamas

convinced? Has it beaten the suicide belts into fertilizer?

[bemildred]

6. I doubt it.

Although they have said they would "leave it for the
next generation" if the "road map" is followed. But
since this is not about Hamas but the general populations
of the two sides, their opinion is not that relevant.