Peace process not rocked by blast

By Kesava Menon

MANAMA (BAHRAIN) APRIL 23. A bomb blast in Israel yesterday that left two persons, including the perpetrator, dead and wounded more than a dozen others does not appear to have derailed tentative efforts to revive security co-operation between the Israelis and the Palestinians. The word from Israel this morning was that the two sides would hold a meeting between security officials scheduled for later in the day though Israel has said that it will not go ahead with a proposed easing of the closure around Palestinian populated areas. The Israeli Cabinet was also said to be seriously considering an Egyptian-Jordanian proposal for a revival of negotiations.

No group has claimed responsibility for yesterday's bomb blast in the town of Kfar Sava in which an Israeli doctor and the suicide bomber were killed. Hamas has, however, expressed its approval of the suicide mission saying that this was revenge for the attacks that Israel has carried out against the Palestinians. In a fashion that has now become routine, a spokesman for Israel's Prime Minister, Mr. Ariel Sharon, blamed the Palestinian Authority and its President, Mr. Yasser Arafat, for the attack and as expected the Palestinian Authority dismissed this charge out of hand. The Israeli media has, however, noted that the level of violence in the Palestinian areas has definitely decreased after Mr. Arafat on Wednesday asked his people not to fire on Israel or Jewish settlements.

These reports also suggest that there are major differences among various Israeli intelligence services on Mr. Arafat's complicity in the violence. One view is that Mr. Arafat retains his old ability to keep a distance from acts he has actually ordered but which he would not like to be traced back to him. Another view is that the violence is being orchestrated by some senior officers in the Palestinian security services who are keeping Mr. Arafat in the dark about operations hey have instigated. This is a rather meaningless debate since there is no one other than Mr. Arafat who can strike a deal with Israel that will stick.

A certain fatigue and a realisation of realities appear to be settling on both sides. Senior officers of the security services of the two sides have met a couple of times on the insistence of the U.S. and in the presence of CIA men who have reportedly merely observed the talks. Both sides say that they are far from an agreement on the detailed measures required to restore security for both sides but it would also appear that both sides have decided to keep talking even though they might not be very enthusiastic about it. If the security talks do make some headway the two sides might be able to devote more attention to the Egyptian-Jordanian proposal. These proposals call for the implementation of confidence building measures to restore calm and the resumption of negotiations on substantive issues within a specific period of time.

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Section  : International
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