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| By Ellis Shuman September 21, 2001 |
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An editorial in Wednesday's Daily Star newspaper in Lebanon opened by stating, "The Israeli-Palestinian cease-fire agreed to on Monday may already be defunct by the time this editorial arrives on newsstands, but the mere fact of its having been worked out is a truly hopeful sign, for it had been looking like an increasingly uncertain future."
After a fatal terrorist attack near Tekoa on Thursday morning, it was uncertain if the cease-fire agreed to by Palestinian and Israeli leaders was still in existence. Possibly this week's truce had joined the growing list of other previous unsuccessful attempts to bring a halt to the violence and return to negotiations.
But, as the Daily Start noted, the declaration of a cease-fire did bring some hope to the region, and quite possibly will lead to renewed efforts to secure a more stable truce in the near future.
Editorials in the international media looked at the recently announced cease-fire, its origins and its impact on the larger scale of worldwide events. Some, like the Daily Star, saw the cease-fire as a harbinger of new hope in the troubled Middle East.
"A truce is essential if the United States is to build a broad-based coalition to combat terrorism, a coalition that will require the cooperation of Arab and Islamic states."
Hartford Courant
"It's a shaky truce, and perhaps it won't hold long. Many Israel-Palestinian cease-fires have collapsed quickly. And yet, this could be the opening words of a new chapter in the Mideast."
The Oregonian
"Arafat's declaration, coinciding with Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, came a week after terrorist attacks in New York and Washington. That stark tragedy may have forced Israel and the Palestinians to recognize and act on an opportunity."
San Jose Mercury News
"The next step is expected to see talks between top Palestinian and Israeli security officials, followed by political negotiations between Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres and Palestinian President Yasser Arafat. These certainly cannot hurt, and they cannot come a moment too soon, but similar meetings in the past have repeatedly failed to halt the bloodshed. For the outcome to be different this time, both sides must make a full commitment to discussing their differences rather than fighting over them."
The Daily Star, Lebanon
"There is no guarantee that this truce will hold for any longer than previous ones. But if it does, Mr. Sharon should be prepared to resume negotiations with Mr. Arafat, not because it would make life easier for the United States in seeking Arab support for counter-terrorism efforts (though it would) but because a perpetual war between Israelis and Palestinians is not in Israel's best interests."
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"Sharon and Arafat can best help America by doing the right thing for their own peoples. Both need peace for its own sake. The United States and all the Arab governments confronting radical Islamicist movements need at least the prospect of such a peace to remove from the terrorists a powerful emotional propaganda theme."
Boston Globe
"Israel now has a chance not just to help an ally but to increase the chances for peace within its borders. It's an opportunity Sharon should seize."
Los Angeles Times
"Arafat is prepared to provide this quiet, since he knows that if he foils the U.S. plans, he will lose all chances of winning support for his diplomatic demands from Israel once the negotiations restart."
Ha'aretz
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