Monitor: All the News of the World: Speculation on the prospects for peace

between Palestine and Israel

ISRAEL, THE US and the Palestinians all recognize that the game is now over the terms of Palestinian statehood, not its eventual reality. The more statehood is a given, rather than a matter for negotiation, the less Israel can demand in exchange. Israel must establish its goals in the peace process as clearly as have the Palestinians. The danger from Israel's perspective is that the Palestinians are granted statehood by a final status agreement, but Israel does not receive a full peace in exchange. The temptation to smooth the course to agreement by postponing some tough issues could result in some Palestinian grievances left officially open, even after a "final status" agreement. Just as the Palestinians have established the inevitability of a Palestinian state, Israel must establish the unbreakable bond between such a state and a full peace.

Jerusalem Post, Israel

ONLY BALANCED and reciprocal resolutions of the Jewish/ Israeli and Palestinian national dilemmas can lead to permanent peace and security based on mutual justice and equality. Most noteworthy, in my view, is that such a balanced, mirrored resolution of the conflict is not a romantic future dream - it is the repeatedly reaffirmed, but never fully acknowledged, regional and global consensus that is well on the way to being achieved. (Rami G Khouri)

Jordan Times

THE CLINTON administration is keeping the interests of the Israelis uppermost but has shown some interest in resolving the Palestine issue. Since the Jewish community has strong lobbies in Congress and effective influence in this administration, the progress towards a just peace has been slow. After the Israeli elections, the US must condemn Israel's delaying tactics and join the rest of the world community to back a Palestinian homeland. Jerusalem has been the cradle of three monolithic religions and the Israeli design on making it just a Jewish centre is immoral, and the US must find the moral courage to back the Palestinians in talks for the final status of this holy city.

Frontier Post, Pakistan