The elusive 'Road Map'

Gaza has been a thorn in the flesh of Israel. Gaza with her teeming millions stacked inside a tiny territory, is by no means an inviting place for the Israelis and they would sooner pull out their settlements. Sharon wants a price for this 'gesture' to the Palestinians and wants to be compensated in the fertile and green West Bank. Indeed Israel has been expanding her settlement activities in the West Bank dispossessing the Palestinians from their lands.

The Palestinians have been losing land steadily to the Israelis since the war of 1967, when Israel conquered vast tracts of territory from Egypt, Syria and Palestine. Egypt recovered her vast Sinai desert through Camp David accord brokered by President Jimmy Carter. Sinai was recovered in exchange for diplomatic recognition of the State of Israel by Egypt, the first and most important Arab country to do so. Since then Israel has made steady gains and obtained recognition of Jordan and nearly Morocco.

In the current state of affairs there is little to which Palestine can look forward to. President George Bush has declared his readiness to see the states of Palestine and Israel living side by side. Since the US is the sole patron of Israel and the most important player in the region, she is anxious to arrange the cards in the most advantageous way possible. Since the US is involved with Israel in myriad ways, it is inconceivable that Palestine gets a fair deal. The weight of the Arab world does not count too much in the eyes of the US. Of course the Arab world has her 'oil card' to play.

Basking in the glory of bringing Democracy to Iraq, the US may be tempted to carry the export of 'democracy' to the neighbours of Iraq. On the other hand the Iraqi adventure has been so damaging to US policy as a whole that they may shy away from launching similar adventures.

The second 'Intifada' of late Chairman Yaser Arafat has been a sensational failure. We have to recognise that it is not possible to dislodge a regime however powerful are terrorist attacks and suicide bombers. It is interesting to note that in her push to build new settlements, Israel selects the area near to Jerusalem. We all know that Jerusalem, being the home of three faiths, namely Judaism, Christianity and Islam, the followers consider Jerusalem holy. Indeed it is on the rock of Jerusalem that the almost successful negotiations conducted under the leadership of former US President Bill Clinton, foundered. By pushing his settlements towards Jerusalem Sharon is queering the pitch and making solution more difficult.

Looking at Ariel Sharon on CNN one wonders for how much longer he will be able to play on the world stage. If he really wants a settlement with his foe of more than half a century and beyond, he should really hurry. Otherwise the tide may pass him by and he may never really have his pound of flesh.

Arshad-uz Zaman is former Ambassador and Acting Secretary General, OIC.