Although the Middle Eastern conflict between Israel and Palestine has been the same for many years, a cast of ever-changing characters has flowed through its political theater.
Some of these characters have made steps to push peace forward, others back. The end result, however, has always been continued killing and bloodshed.
In the current character rotation, Colin Powell has stepped out as secretary of state and Condoleezza Rice has taken his place. More importantly, Yasser Arafat has exited stage left to be replaced by recently elected Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.
Peace is now back on the minds of leaders in both Israel and Palestine and the United States is there, prodding the backs of both sides toward it. Prodding in the form of a $350 million request to Congress from President Bush to support Palestinian political, economical and security reform. And although the president has notions of sides "living side by side in peace," resolving the problems of an ageless war and disagreement is going to take more than a broad stroke vision of a great union.
But this is a real and legitimate movement in the right direction.
As Palestine has demanded, Israel has dropped its policy of targeting and killing suspected terrorists and senior members of Palestinian militant groups. President Abbas has deployed security forces in Palestinian territories to deter terrorist attacks. Israel approved the release of some Palestinian prisoners. Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Ahmed Qorei has banned the carrying of unlicensed weapons into areas of Palestinian security controls. A cease-fire agreement has been reached between Abbas and the Islamic fundamentalist group Hamas.
Even more impressive, last week a military withdraw from five West Bank cities was approved by an Israeli cabinet committee - though this decision was protested by more than 100,000 people.
The figuratively labeled "road map" to peace has been put back in place and many point toward Arafat's death as the reason. Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is expected to meet with Abbas on Tuesday - the first meeting since Abbas succeeded Arafat - to make further reparations.
One can't help but feel that there is a genuine sentiment working for change. As Rice urged after arriving in the Middle East on Sunday, both sides are "making the hard choices."
The significance of Rice's back-patting can be debated just as much as the worth of a U.S. college newspaper's two cents about the conflict. During so many years of conflict, hearts and minds have been tempered to hate, and political movement will not be the only change necessary to make peace a reality. Likewise, back-patting and the opinions of a paper thousands of miles away are not even a drop in the bucket of change.
Peace and the end of needless killing always is a cause worth rooting for, no matter how far removed from the situation. If it's a mentality that needs to be changed, then it needs to happen worldwide.
