JERUSALEM - Prime Minister Ariel Sharon won cabinet approval today for a US-backed "road map" for peace in a breakthrough that formally committed Israel for the first time to the establishment of a Palestinian state.
This may come as a surprise to some of you but Ariel Sharon has just taken the biggest step towards peace the region has ever seen. Granted it was helped along by pressure from the US, but things are definitely looking up. Cheers for that one Bush.
Full marks to sharon for this one. He did so against a fair amount of opposition as well. I hope the end of this is peace in the middle east and both sides are prepared to compromise and not make unachievable requests of the other side, eg. an end to all palestinian actions against israelis. Palestinian authorities will be able to reduce but not eliminate or control all of their citizens.
Yes full marks to Mr Sharon but I'm sure there will be a number of concessions and I think it will be hard for Abbas to guarantee Israeli security. Interstingly I read yeterday that Arafat has denounced the killing of women and children via suicide bombings.
The Israeli's are realistic and have said they don't expect a 100% cease in suicide bombings, what they do expect however is the Palestinian authorities to give 100% effort in the prevention of suicide bombings and the capture of the offenders.
would it surprise you that much if was publicly denouncing them but secretly encouraging them? this is probably what the israelis think? doesnt seem like they have a helluva lot of faith in him anymore
![[quote]](http://static.biggie.co.nz/img/dis/message_quote.png "Quote message"){kind=small}