Posted on: Thursday, January 13, 2005

EDITORIAL
We must give Abbas a chance to succeed

At the risk of sounding Pollyannaish, we see no reason why newly elected Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas can't succeed where his predecessor, the late Yasser Arafat, failed.

His landslide victory in Sunday's election suggests voters are eager to resume peace talks with Israel, move toward a two-state solution and end the corruption that marked Arafat's regime.

Abbas, who supported the 1993 Oslo peace accords and has spoken out publicly against suicide bombings, has the support of the international community.

But the honeymoon could be short-lived if Abbas wastes too much time pandering to militant groups that have no intention of reining in the violence.

Now that the election is over, we hope Abbas can tone down campaign rhetoric, such as calling Israel the "Zionist enemy." Of course, we're aware that heading the Palestinian Authority entails a certain degree of posturing.

As we understand his strategy, Abbas hopes to bring militants into the fold of the Palestinian Authority and get them to declare a unilateral cease-fire. In return for their participation, he has pledged to protect militants from being jailed or killed by Israeli forces.

In our view, Abbas will go a long way in winning the confidence of his mainstream constituents if he can rid the Palestinian Authority of corruption and increase economic opportunities.

Indeed, Abbas faces daunting challenges that require patience and cooperation from Israel and the United States. The majority of Palestinians want peace, but they need reassurance that Israel, with prodding from the United States, is willing to make the necessary concessions, such as withdrawing settlements from the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

Neither Abbas nor Israel nor the United States must squander this rare opportunity to end the decades-old conflict in the Middle East.