As painful and chaotic a process as it is, Israel's forced withdrawal of its settlers and the dismantling of settlements from Gaza may turn out to be a key moment on the road to true peace in that region of the world.

But it won't be remembered that way without immense continued effort by Israel, the Palestinian Authority and the United States.

For starters, it must be remembered that this is far from a simple big-hearted gesture on the part of Israel. Rather, it is a pragmatic recognition of the costs of protecting about two dozen scattered settlements in what is overwhelmingly Palestinian territory.

But once it leaves, Israel is not finished in Gaza. It must ensure, both in practice and in politics, that the succeeding Palestinians have true freedom of movement within Gaza as well as free movement of goods and people to the outside world.

That's the only way this territory has any hope of survival. And economic opportunity is the best way out of the frustration and anger that daily threaten the Jewish state.

The Palestinian Authority has an enormous task ahead: restoring rule of law and civil government in an area that is increasingly lawless.

The first step will be to see that there is no violence against Israeli settlers and soldiers during the withdrawal. So far, that commitment to "quiet" appears to be holding, but there were lingering fears of violence, either from resisting settlers or celebrating Palestinians.

The second step will be the Palestinians' promised parliamentary elections early in 2006. That promise was reiterated yesterday, with Palestinian officials announcing Jan. 21 as the date for long-delayed legislative elections. That statement appeared aimed at showing that Israel is delivering Gaza into responsible hands capable of advancing democracy.

If Gaza descends into chaos and anarchy, critics of the pullout will find themselves vindicated and the hopes for any further outreach will be dashed.

Finally, it is imperative that the international community, particularly the United States, do its part to help the emerging Palestinian state succeed.

This includes help in reforming security forces as well as substantial economic development assistance. Without political and economic stability, this week's traumatic pullout will be seen as a sad and useless gesture.