As noted in my deja vu peace, despite all the brouhaha, nothing fundamental has or will change by the death of Arafat or the Palestinian elections. Sam Bahour writes about some practical steps that are necessary for change to happen:
“The international euphoria surrounding the Palestinian elections is about to quickly pass and, come January 2005, the region will find itself exactly where the late Yasir Arafat left it – at a dead end.”
“What is urgently needed is a restructuring of the international mediation addressing the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Shuttle diplomacy by world powers unable or unwilling to commit to international and humanitarian law as a foundation for Palestinian and Israeli reconciliation is a waste of time, money, and Palestinian and Israeli lives.”