Hours before a midnight deadline to reach agreement over the formation of a new Palestinian cabinet, Palestinian President Yasser Arafat and his newly appointed Prime Minister Abu Mazen ended an intense deadlock over the appointment of Muhammad Dahlan as head of the Palestinian security forces. The deadlock, which threatened to end in the resignation of Abu Mazen, would have posed a serious obstacle to the US publication of the road map for the resumption of Palestinian-Israeli talks, and ultimately the establishment of a Palestinian state by 2005.

The US, and the international community at large, have welcomed the agreement and urged the Palestinian Legislative Council to “…confirm the cabinet nominations speedily.”

President Arafat has been pressured by the US and Britain, as well as other Arab states, to accept the proposed government of Mr. Abu Mazen, who is already being welcomed by the Whitehouse and is seen by the US administration as a “moderate” alternative to President Arafat, and a possible candidate for the Palestinian leadership.

This development constitutes a significant shift in Palestinian politics, whereby decades of President Arafat’s undisputed authoritative power will now be shared with Abu Mazen.

In light of this new development, it is expected that the US will soon publish its long-awaited road map for “peace” in the region. After more than 30 months of constant Palestinian-Israeli fighting, there may now be a possibility of calm, and a resumption of Palestinian-Israeli political dialogue.