Towards an independent Palestine

US President George W. Bush has made it clear that the future of humanity lies with freedom and democracy. With their free and fair elections in January, the Palestinian people have created their democracy. Now they must have their freedom.

Palestinian National Authority (PNA) President Mahmoud Abbas has courageously staked his political future on achieving freedom and statehood for his people through peaceful negotiations.

To succeed, he needs the support of all responsible parties. He has taken many bold and decisive steps to restructure the PNA and rebuild a disciplined and accountable security system. Without security and the rule of law, there is no hope for peace.

Israel either can help or hinder the credibility of Abbas. His needs from the Israelis are clear: fewer checkpoints, a release of prisoners, the end of humiliation, relief from the violence of Jewish colonists and the army, a military withdrawal, no new "realities on the ground" such as colony expansion, and no more home demolitions or land acquisitions.

Above all, he needs reassurance about the viability of a contiguous, free Palestinian state, with negotiations based on Israel's 1967 pre-war borders and a capital in Arab Jerusalem.

Both parties have responsibilities under the US-engineered roadmap to peace, and the onus cannot be solely on the Palestinians.

Helping Abbas to deliver results for his people must be as much a litmus test for Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's credibility as Abbas's moves on security are a test of his.

Abbas's mandate may be tested in the forthcoming elections. It is imperative that the Palestinian Government has the resources needed to deliver services to its people, or others will fill the void.

Bush has reiterated his commitment to the roadmap that he helped draft in 2003. The Palestinians' sustained support for Abbas will depend on their confidence in the political process heralded by a palpable improvement in their daily lives.

It helps that Bush has expressed confidence in Abbas and in the integrity of Finance Minister Salam Fayyad, who posted the Palestinian budget on the internet to ensure transparency and accountability.

Bush understands that Abbas needs substantial assistance.

He sent Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to visit the region on her first trip abroad, dispatched Army Lieutenant General William E. Ward to coordinate security, designated former World Bank President James D. Wolfensohn to oversee the economic implications of the Israeli disengagement plan from Gaza and four West Bank colonies, and asked Congress for $200 million (Dh734 million) in supplemental aid this year for the Palestinians.

Given this personal commitment, and with US participation, two major tasks must be accomplished this year: First, the establishment of close security cooperation and activation of committees established at the Sharm Al Shaikh summit in February, with scrupulous implementation of agreements by both parties.

Second, the full implementation by both parties of their commitments under the roadmap as they coordinate the disengagement from Gaza and withdrawal from parts of the West Bank.

Thinking strategically, we can lay the foundations for realignment so that Palestine will be an ally of the United States and a partner to Israel in peace.

Ultimately, security and peace will be achieved by establishing a viable, contiguous, independent and democratic Palestine, with a shared Jerusalem as the capital for the two states and a fair solution to the refugee problem according to international law.

The "painful concession" Israel must make is to return the occupied Palestinian territories to their rightful owners.

There are those in Palestine, Israel, the Arab world and the United States who oppose the peaceful vision of two states.

Our challenge is to make tangible steps that will tip the balance in favour of promoting a culture of reconciliation and make peace a reality.

The urgency of timely intervention cannot be overstated. What all parties do and do not do in the coming months will determine whether this faint glimmer of hope will usher in a new era of peace or fade into a long night of conflict and chaos.

We must act decisively in the interests of the Israeli, Palestinian and Arab peoples and, above all, in American national interest.

Dr Ziad Asali is president of the American Task Force on Palestine