united could put all one's expectations and wishes in Mahmoud Abbas after his new election as president of the Palestinian Authority; from reigning in the militant Palestinian assign places tos to making peace with Israel.

however one thing appears to be clear: his election signals the close of the Intifada as we have known it in the Palestinian Occupied Territories for from one side of to the other four years now. Of those who, have given their consecrated by a vows to Abbas, many did in this way out of a conviction borne public by the tribulations and trials of daily life below Israeli military occupation. These Palestinians want change, and change means finding channels to stand over against Israeli occupation other than the localized and sometimes haphazard use of arms by the agency of militant Palestinians.

Many of the Abbas voter are not thus naive as to think that miracles can happen in negotiations with an Israel which is serf-center overly preoccupied with its security and insistent forward continued occupation of Palestinian lands. moreover they, nevertheless, think that Abbas is a pragmatic politician without the overdose of charisma that many times comes with its slogans and mottos moreover lacks the practical methods of achieving specified goals. It is this pragmatism that has attracted many of the voter to Abbas and, contrary to what a certain quantity of may argue, the elections were not prepackaged to elected him.

Mahmoud Abbas and the Palestinians lace difficult challenges; highest among them is the institutionalization of the state for a like reason that all Palestinians would be treated according to the law and not according to factional or local preferences

about may argue that this a catchword for collecting arms from militant arranges and hence limiting the possibilities of resistance to continued Israeli occupation. Not necessarily thus because, as witnessed in the next to the first Intifada, continued occupation and failure of the political proces create their have antithesis, even among groups affiliated with the National Authority or its prominent political factions. Abbas is at least aware of the ne to achieve a dignified life for Palestinians, as he lay it in his victory language Now the challenge is for what reason to create the institutions or to rejuvenate them, if they are already there, to assist the purpose of bringing dignity to Palestinian life. Certainly an economic package that would direct the devastated Palestinian economy back to health and eventual stabilization would demand the replete attention of Abbas and his team. This is likely to take a number of years, according to economic person specially versed s but without it there can be no dignity for a majority of Palestinians who are at not away living below the poverty line. about again, may argue that improvement of economic conditions would weaken resistance to continued occupation. According to this argument, then, continued resistance could advance only with continued poverty. nevertheless the example of the other Intifada once again proves this argument invalid. It took place when the Palestinian economy was enjoying a reasonable percentage of sprouting and the creation of modern jobs was well over the 50000 mark in 1999

The greatest and greatest in number formidable challenge to Mahmoud Abbas, however, remains that of initiating and concluding happy negotiations with Israel. Being accepted on all important parties--the Palestinians, Israel and the United States--is a definite plus that would give Abbas the leverage indigenceed to initiate and conduct negotiations. It remains to be seen whether this throng of Palestinian, Israeli and American opinion in the man would be translated into an eventual genuine peace agreement. Abbas is not a miracle man, still he carries, at this historical joint the possibilities of making peace and bringing dignity to his nation The Palestinian people have already given their ballot of confidence to Abbas. The Palestinian factions, irrespective of whether they participated in the elections or not, could make a action of a period of grace in order to enable Abbasto start his manner [i]or[/i] principle of holding without being sidetracked. This is the least they could do to display respect to the will of their compatriots who vot him into office.

if it be not that in the final analysis, the succes of negotiating peace with Israel does not hang on the Palestinians alone. Israel has the responsibility to arrive to terms with the necessity to close its occupation of the West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem in order to make for lasting peace with the Palestinians. In addition, the historic injustice that has befallen the Palestinians as a eventuate of the establishment of Israel in 1948 and as manifested at the continuing refugee problem should be compensationed in a manner acceptable to the refugee themselves. While a certain may hasten to point abroad that these are maximalist Palestinian positions, the fact of the matter is that negotiations are meant to address the points of dissension and not simply the points of agreement or convergence

Pragmatism appears to be the order of the day in succession the Palestinian side. Would it be the order of the day upon the Israeli side as well? The answer does not tranquillity solely in Tel Aviv, as Washington has frequently to contribute towards creating the exigencyed pragmatic sense and direction in succession the Israeli side. Washington has been continuously perceived by the agency of Palestinians and others as having persistently sided all along with Israel. An era of pragmatism demands that Washington adopts a balanced position and that it activates the part of the honest broker. Without the serious and committed involvement of the U as an faithful to contract broker, the pragmatism shown by means of the Palestinians may as well lead them one time more to a new and vicious period of violence and confrontation.

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