Pulling the carpet

By Naguib Mahfouz

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The optimism generated by the cease-fire between Israel and the Palestinians has in the last few weeks been so undermined that little can remain of the positive spirit it had engendered.

Since the Palestinian factions announced their acceptance of this Egyptian initiative the Israelis have done nothing other than consolidate their position against the Palestinians -- continuing with the policies they had been adopting prior to the announcement of the cease-fire.

Occupation and settlements continue despite the dismantling of a few very remote outposts. As for the few Palestinian prisoners that have been released, more for sake of publicity than anything else, they are not the kind of figures who, once freed, could effect a change in Israeli policy. The Palestinians insist that they have presented the Israelis with a list of the names of those whose release is crucial. All of them remain behind bars.

Such conditions, if they continue, can result only in a complete loss of confidence. This would be the worst that could happen, and the most effective way of pulling the carpet from beneath the just solution to which all fair-minded people, wherever they are, aspire.

Based on an interview by Mohamed Salmawy.