Rumors of peace

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In a war-torn land, even a small move toward resolution by Saudi Arabia has raised hopes for that elusive Mideast settlement. Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has adBY TRACY WILKINSON AND MICHAEL SLACKMAN amantly refused to cede more than a portion of the West Bank and Gaza Los Angeles Times Strip to the Palestinians.

ERUSALEM - Israelis and PalesYet the proposal has captured the imagination of many people in the retinians are locked in their deadliest gion, in part because of the rare inbattle in decades. No political initiavolvement of powerful Saudi Arabia tive has graced the horizon for and in part because they are so despermonths.

Nearly everyone - Arab and ate for any initiative that might staunch Jew-is exhausted. the flow of blood in the Holy Land.

Into such bleak circumstances floats "The public wants to grab at straws," a proposal by Saudi Arabia that is gainsaid Galia Golan, an Israeli political sci- even ing astonishing momentum entist and veteran peace activist. though it is vaguely worded, starkly EFFORTS TO END 17 months of viosimple and not particularly creative. lence that has claimed more than 1,100 Headlines in newspapers from Jerulives have failed repeatedly. salem to Cairo and beyond trumpet it.

Throughout the escalating bloodThe European Union envoy detours to shed, the U.S. government has abdicatJidda to hear more, and President Bush ed its mediator role and remained bestows his praise. largely on the sidelines.

The formula, which emerged as But the Saudi plan, a senior State Denothing more than a trial balloon in a partment official said, is "important New York newspaper, offers Israel and interesting." recognition and normal economic, culThe promise of diplomatic recognitural and political relations with the ention for Israel and the signal to Palestintire Arab world in exchange for the ian Authority President Yasser Arafat Jewish state's withdrawal from all land that peaceful negotiations are still posit captured and occupied in the 1967 sible are encouraging incentives, the Middle East War, including the West official said, but cautioned: "This is not Bank and Gaza Strip. a settlement.

It has to be reached Instead of details, it presents a quid through negotiations, after a rebuilding pro quo of broad sweep, and is difficult of trust, which has to come atter an end forany party to dismiss out of hand Associated Press to the violence.

So we re still where we The proposal would seem to have were before; we just have a better idea Hussein Jarboo, a 4-year-old Palestinian boy, wields an AK-47 assault rifle little chance to prosper, however.

As of what's down the road" during an anti-Israel and anti-U.S. rally Monday in Rafah, in the Gaza Strip: eager as Israelis are to enjoy diplomatSaudi Arabia has offered new hope for peace in the Mideast. ic normality with their Arab neighbors, Please see MIDEAST, page P4

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"Rumors of peace," LNP Lancaster Online, 3 March 2002. Covering Palestine archive, CP-2002-037. https://coveringpalestine.org/archive/cp-2002-037