The smooth holding of the Palestinian election and ingurgitation of Abbas as president of the Palestine National Authority seem to have brought new opportunity for resumption of the peace talk between Palestine and Israel. But recent series of violence between Israel and Palestine still foreshadows the gloomy prospect of the peace talk.

Israel has frozen all connections with Palestine after the attack on the Israeli inspection station in the evening of Jan 13, in which six Israelis were killed and four others injured. After the attack Israel closed three inspection stations at the Gaza strip too. The Israeli Prime Minister Sharon ordered the army to take all necessary measures to strengthen strikes in the Gaza strip. In ten-odd days, the Israeli army killed and wounded more than ten Palestinians at Gaza and Rafah. The international community felt concerned about the possibility that Palestine and Israel going back to the state of "violence for violence", and therefore urged Israel and Palestine not to let the attack hinder the recent active progress in the Middle East.

Sharon had cast his attention on safety of Israel at the same time he extended congratulations to Abbas after he was elected president of PNA. Sharon stressed that whether Palestine could stop anti-Israel attacks was the most important issue. If not, it will launch fiercer revenges than ever. It is known that there are two principal political inclinations in Palestine where various groups exist. One inclination opposes making peace with Israel and persists in armed resistance; the other advocates settlement of disputes and founding a Palestinian country through peace talks. The two differed ideas is the focus of contradictions in Palestine. Abbas is the representative of the mild group, but his pragmatic strategies have not been accepted by Hamas and �ʣ����, who not only boycott the election, but also claim they will not cease attack on Israel unless the Israelis retreat from Palestine. The fact that Sharon intimidated Abbas to deal with the radical organizations in Palestine before he accomplished reshuffle of government and reorganizing the security forces is like making Abbas "dance with a bomb", which will force Abbas into a corner. This point alone makes people doubt Sharon's sincerity for peace.

Five years into the bloody conflicts with Israel, the Palestinians have suffered great casualty; its economy has been declining; the Palestinian people feel tired of chaos caused by war and are depressed for the future.

Although Israel has dealt a heavy blow to Hamas by killing its spiritual leader Yassin and his successor Rantissi, the Hamas' reputation didn't go down; instead it soared amongst the people in Gaza where the feeling of despair prevailed, for it has some basis in the public. This shows the "targeted elimination" that Sharon advocates will by no means bring about genuine safety to Israel. Under the current circumstance, the Hamas will not stoop down to the Israeli army's threat, nor will the Jewish extremists look on with their hands folded to Sharon's "compromise".

At his swearing in ceremony, Abbas reiterated that the Palestinian people would stick to their choice of peace. If Sharon really wishes to push forward the peace process, then the most important thing for the time being is to give Abbas assistance by taking measures including cease military strikes, ease control of blockade on the Palestinians and stop construction of separation walls. Sharon should recreate mutual trust and give Abbas some time for eliminating divergence inside Palestine rather than making requests and setting preconditions for resumption of peace talks.

By People's Daily Online