Politics prevail

The Palestinians have chosen to hold to the course of peace in the face of Israeli aggression. The Israelis, for their part, have made important, albeit largely symbolic, gestures.

A new chapter in Palestinian-Israeli relations is about to be written. For the first time since the Aqaba summit Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas and his Israeli counterpart Ariel Sharon issued positive political statements stressing that there is no fundamental enmity between their peoples.

Having said that, Sharon resorted to his old divide and rule tactic of cutting a wedge between "moderate" and "terrorist" Palestinians.

It is a strategy that will no longer work. Palestinians have come to realise that their most important political asset is to stand together. They have one goal -- self- determination and the righting of the many wrongs inflicted upon them by the Israelis. The Palestinians know that they must present a united front. Egypt has been working hard behind the scenes to bridge the gap between the different Palestinian factions and it is a strategy that has borne fruit.

The Palestinians, in the words of Abu Mazen, have acknowledged that their struggle with the Israelis is a political one and can only be resolved politically. The perpetuation of the conflict with the Israelis, he said, is not in the best interests of the Palestinian people.

The current administration in Washington is taking a keen interest in resolving the Middle East crisis as testified by the visits, one after the other, of US President George W Bush, Secretary of State Colin Powell and US National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice.

Israelis and Palestinians must take advantage of this golden opportunity and work together for lasting peace.