There is no guarantee that the Israeli decision to move into Palestinian towns will end Palestinian suicide bomb attacks. What is more guaranteed is that the presence of the Israeli military will further infuriate the Palestinians.
Military force, the rounding up of suspected militants, and the humiliation of the Palestinian leadership has been tried before, but the suicide attacks still keep coming.
After Tuesday's suicide bomb attack which killed 19 Israelis in Jerusalem, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon had to respond in some way. He has responded in a way that most Israelis would like him to. But the recent occupation of Palestinian towns under Operation Defensive Shield, does not appear to have enhanced Israel's security, as the recent attack has shown. The conflict of the past few decades has produced a generation of Palestinians who are willing to kill themselves for their cause. The experience of the past shows that fresh military action will only strengthen their resolve.
Unfortunately, while past experience has taught us what is not likely to work, no one is quite sure what the best approach is to restore peace between Israelis and Palestinians. The international community is clear about what it would like to see: an Israeli state and a Palestinian state side by side, both with secure, recognised boundaries. The problem is that every effort so far to reach this goal has fallen by the wayside. Apportioning blame to one side or the other for this state of affairs does not help. If anything, the leadership of both the Israelis and the Palestinians have been culpable for this situation.
Security for Israel, and dignity for the Palestinians. How is this to be achieved? Even if no one is quite clear about how to proceed, it is obvious that as a first step the violence must end, and talks must begin. The United States has a crucial role to play in getting talks resumed. The speech that US President George W. Bush is to deliver outlining his plans to restore peace will be an important step in this direction. It is hoped that extreme elements on both the Israeli and the Palestinian side will restrain themselves enough to give peace a chance.