While the Israeli army continues to carry out horrific atrocities against Palestinian civilians throughout the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, the latest of which claimed the lives of 10 Palestinian refugees in Al-Bureij Camp, the Israeli government is bent on further exploiting the "war against terrorism" analogy in order to maximise its (territorial) gains and impose a one-sided solution on the besieged Palestinian population, albeit a short-sighted one with disastrous long term implications on both peoples.

Sharon, realising that he still lacks a political agenda, outlined a plan at the Herzliya conference that would "allow the establishment of a Palestinian state with temporary borders." This would include Areas A and B, representing 42 percent of the West Bank as well as 70% of the Gaza Strip, "except for areas vital for security." This move, hidden behind extremely ambiguous phrases, is intended to confuse the Israeli electorate and appease the so called Quartet while never promising to halt settlement expansion, a hotbed for violence, or committing to a full withdrawal from the West Bank and Gaza.

It must be cautioned at this crucial time, in which the region is preparing for the inevitable US assault on Iraq, that any permanent solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict will have to encompass the imperatives of peace outlined more than ten years ago in the Madrid Peace Conference; the full implementation of UN resolutions 242, 338, 194, and the 'land-for-peace' equation. Without an end to Israel's illegal occupation of the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, and east Jerusalem the region is doomed to further violence and bloodshed; any Israeli attempt to distort this reality will only contribute to more Palestinian resentment, thus, more rejection to Israel's legitimacy in the Middle East.

While the world has become blinded by a short-sighted US interpretation of reality (i.e. the good vs. evil politics of George W. Bush), voices of reason and political pragmatism must be raised and heard in order to avoid a tragic global decline into the abyss of wars and conflicts.

The Palestinian people continue to suffer the most horrific conditions under an illegal Israeli occupation, under the watchful eyes of the international community (which is either unable or unwilling to intervene). This silence must be broken, for the sake of the Palestinian people, the Israeli people, and the region as whole.

What is needed at this time is a return to the basics; a political discourse based on mutual acceptance, tolerance, and a commitment to ending Israel's occupation.