THE EYES of the nation are on Washington, D.C., today, as they have been for many days. It is possible that many people have missed the good news coming out of Israel and Gaza.
Over the weekend, Israel declared a unilateral cease-fire in Gaza. Not long after, Hamas announced its own one-week cease-fire. Even better news came Monday, when Israel said it was pulling its troops out of Gaza and intended to be clear of the Palestinian territory by the time Barack Obama took the oath of office today.
The reference to Obama in the announcement may indicate that Israel intends the withdrawal to be a signal to the new administration in the United States that it is willing to explore some new approaches to an end to the long conflict between Israelis and Palestinians. Obama is expected to take a more active role in the search for peace than did President George W. Bush and, while still ensuring the survival of Israel, to give more heed to the claims of Palestinians.
The Gaza battle was a nasty little pocket war. More than 1,200 Palestinians were killed by Israeli bombs, shells and bullets. More than half of that number are thought to have been civilians, many of them children — people whose only role in the fight was to be in the way when the bullets flew.
The cease-fire and withdrawal in no way mark the end of the war between Israel and Hamas. They provide, at best, a breathing space — a few days in which the dust of war can settle and there is once again time for serious thoughts of peace.
If Hamas refrains from resuming its missile attacks on Israel and if Israel sees to it that the people of Gaza have adequate food and medicine and the opportunity to build an economy, the odds for peace get better.
So President Barack Obama, who has so much on his plate already, now has another task — to send an envoy to Israel immediately to shore up the cease-fires and begin lobbying the warring parties to compromise their way toward an acceptable settlement.
It is a big challenge for the new president, but it is also a rare opportunity.
Patrick S. Kelley
Editorial Page Editor