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Palestinians and Israelis are once again on the cusp of a new opportunity to push forward their long-stalemated reconciliation process.
After a few days' intensive negotiations, the two generations-long enemies finally reached an agreement on re-opening the Gaza-Egypt border crossings starting November 25.
Under the agreement, Palestinians will be granted the freedom to move, to trade and to live ordinary lives. In addition, they will be allowed to build a seaport off the coast of Gaza to facilitate transportation.
The agreement, if put into practice, marks the first time that the Palestinians cooped up in the Gaza Strip can gain control over the border and can freely travel to other regions since 1967.
In return, Israel will be given the right to monitor the Gaza-Egypt border crossings through remote video cameras. And whenever disputes occur between the two sides on the crossing issue, a European Union observer group will make a final judgment.
For the Palestinians and Israelis who have been in bloody conflicts for decades, the agreement displays their efforts to uproot a seed that has long bred bloodshed and hatred.
For the Palestinians, who have always been in a disadvantageous position in their rivalry with a more powerful neighbor, it means a successful step towards winning its right to survival and dignity as human beings.
Israelis will also benefit a lot from this agreement. The Israelis abandoning control over the border crossings is undoubtedly equivalent to them getting rid of a source of violence and gaining a chance for security.
As a positive event in the deadlocked Palestinian-Israeli peace process, the border deal was reached amid a series of major developments in the region in recent days.
Last week, the Israeli political scene was dealt a shake-up when union leader Amir Peretz defeated veteran statesman Shimon Peres for leadership of the country's Labour Party. Peretz immediately announced the party would pull out of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's coalition government, setting the stage for new elections within months. Lack of support for the Labor Party would make Sharon's chances slim in maintaining a parliamentary majority.
Also, Sharon's Likud Party is still deeply divided over the policy towards Palestinians following the Gaza pullout. And several lawmakers in his party still remain furious about what they consider as a tactical mistake.
Moreover, the agreement is expected to help consolidate the new Palestinian authorities under the leadership of Mahmoud Abbas.
Without the same influence as his predecessor Yasser Arafat, Abbas stops short of enough cards to play with Israel and with domestic political factions.
The ability of the new government and its authority will be put to a serious test if no headway is made on peace talks.
Hamas and other radical groups have demonstrated impatience towards the temporary Palestinian-Israeli ceasefire accord.
Thus, it is expected that the agreement will strengthen Abbas' power ahead of the parliament election to be held on January 25 and help him fend off possible challenges from disobedient radical Islamic groups.
The accord was also a result of the United States' stepped up mediation and pressures.
To hammer out the deal, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice even postponed a day later her trip to the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation forum in Busan, Republic of Korea. That shows the US Bush administration's resolve to prove its role in the Israeli-Palestinian game.
Considering interwoven conflicts and decades-accumulated mistrust and hatred, the way to final compromise, however, allows no optimism.
Still it is hoped that the two peoples can turn their emotional commemoration of the late Yitzhak Rabin and Yasser Arafat, two soldiers for peace, into a strong force to promote peace and reconciliation with each other.
(China Daily November 19, 2005)
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