Gulf News says: Short-circuiting a takeover

Israel's latest incursion into the West Bank does nothing to increase the security Tel Aviv is purportedly working toward. The demolition in Bethlehem of the home of the Islamic Jihad leader and the major infiltration by Israeli tanks into Tulkarem can only serve to further widen the schism in the region. The death of a new born at a checkpoint near Bethlehem and the killing of a woman and her 12-year-old niece by Israeli tank fire in the Gaza Strip does not help further the search for peace in the region.

It is clear that Israel is determined to maintain the status quo in the occupied territories. The latest Palestinian moves toward a viable peace strategy that includes political reforms, have not gone down well with the Israelis. The provocations continue with the expected reaction by desperate Palestinians muddying the situation sufficiently to suit Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's steady push for total control of all Palestinian lands.

The violence being orchestrated by Tel Aviv will no doubt continue. It is up to the Arab world to ensure the pursuit of peace and stability in the region, as outlined in the Abdullah Plan, is steadfast.