THE signature in Cairo yesterday of the accord giving Palestinians a measure of self-rule in Jericho and the Gaza Strip is a remarkable achievement. It is a sign of just how amazing an accomplishment it was that the whole package almost came apart at the signing ceremony in a last minute dispute over the map of the area covered by the agreement. So sensitive is the map that the two sides have been unable to settween Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin last September, there have been accusations by both sides that the other was trying to unpick earlier agreements to extract last minute concessions. In the interim, extremists on both sides have committed appalling acts of terrorism aimed at disrupting the talks. Yet they have remained on course and the deal offers the prospect of a state for the Palestinians alongside the Jewish state. At the same time, the talks between Israel and Syria are looking hopeful. They may eventually bring a peace the region has not known for almost 50 years. This is a momentous week for solutions to apparently intractable problems. In South Africa, as well as the Middle East, old enemies have stepped forward together instead of confronting one another head on. While massacres and bloodshed continue elsewhere, it is comforting to consider that peace may eventually prevail even in places once consumed by hatred. Ever since the original Declaration of Principles was signed be
