An alternative to Sharon's policies

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has reached a juncture requiring the Labor Party to leave the government and take up the leadership of the Israeli peace camp, which prefers peace over territories. The security emergency had provided Labor with justifications for staying in the government, including its support for Operation Protective Wall, which was perceived as an irreproachable necessity, especially after the attack in Netanya on the eve of Passover. That has now changed, and Labor must summon up the courage to adapt to developments.

The military operation is nearing exhaustion, and in any case its results are already evident: It has succeeded in landing a considerable blow on the Palestinian terrorist framework, but it cannot uproot terror nor eliminate the ground on which it grows. On the contrary, the deeper and longer the operation, the more its inherent contradictions are exposed. The destruction of the Palestinian governing authority and security services involved in the execution of terror attacks against Israel also smashes those elements on the Palestinian side that Israel will demand impose control on the residents after the military operation is over.

There have been important developments in the international arena concerning the conflict. A conference of Arab leaders approved a decision expressing willingness to end the conflict with Israel and to find solutions to the controversial issues. Although the Beirut declaration departs from the original formulation of the Saudi initiative, it represents a positive change in the traditional rejectionist approach of the Arab world, as expressed, for example, by the Khartoum conference in its day. President Bush's statement, which emphasized the right of the Palestinians to live in their own state, is also an important development.