Amazing Israel/Palestine Progress Towards Peace - (No Polemics, Please)

Given the escelation of rhetoric and the hardning of positions that occured between about the middle of last year and about two weeks ago, I have to say that the policy/philosophical shifts that have been occuring in the last couple of days absolutely have blown me away.

Basically, I'm refering to what seems to have started with a shift by Arafat towards a less inflamitory tone in what he had to say about the Israelis. (Were treeman around, right about now he'd go into an anti-Arafat rant so, if you're about to try and copy him, don't. Whoever you are, I'm sure treeman's would have been better). Granted, this has little to do with actual actions, but it was the first public statements by either side in recent memory that I can remember suprising me.

I have to say that I was flat out amazed by Ariel Sharon's well publicised oposition to the recent Likud vote about the presence of a Palestinian state. Granted, closer examination reveals that the story was perhaps a bit overblown, and the actual facts didn't quite support the initial reporting, but Sharon in the past has been one of the most vocal public figures in Israel in favor of an aggressive, hawkish, expansionistic national policy for Israel. This, combined with Israel's decision to rethink its planned Gaza operation, left me feeling that perhaps the current climate in Israel is not so sure of impending war.

Finally, today comes this, from the Palestinian Authority which appears to be a very real and tangable step towards reforms that would grease the wheels of the peace train.

Bottom line, I'm currently hopeful for peace in the middle east again, after a long period of pessamism. Granted, I 'hopeful' in the same way I'm 'hopeful' that the Rockets will get the #1 overall pick, but it it hope nonetheless.

Anybody see what I see, or am I reading everything wrong? Again, please no "Araphat sux, d00d" or "Israelis are Nazis", please.

 

Intresting...

Hypothetical -

Given that the Israelis, despite all their efforts, are unable to stop even half of the suicide bomber attempts, should Arafat be heald accountable if he, in fact, puts forth a somewhat reasonable and genuine effort to stop the bombers? Remember, again, that the primary group pushing for bombings in Palestine is Hamas, which is a rival political group to Arafat's Fatah.


Also:

The second thing I thought upon reading about these Palestinian reforms was that, while I'm sure there are plenty of much more friendly people that the Israelis would like to head the Palestinian Authority, I'm also sure that the chances of a 'more frendly' person unseating him in general elections is much less likely than a 'more unfrendly' successor.

Has there been any speculation about prominant Palestinian types who Israel would like to replace Arafat? Something tells me that the majority of these people would be objectionable to the general Palestinian population.