Now that the Middle East has moved up the US agenda, the impetus should not be squandered, writes Ali Halimeh
The US president's remarks in Brussels during his recent European tour were encouraging for the Middle East, particularly the signal that the conflict between the Palestinians and Israelis has moved up the US agenda to being an immediate policy priority.
However, these positive words need to be translated into action. Too often in the past American policy on the Middle East has caved in to Israeli pressure.
The current political energy around the future shape of the two-state solution in the Middle East should not be lost.
In order to achieve anything before the current momentum dissipates, we need to move as swiftly as possible to a final status equation that can realistically deliver, not only short-term stability, but long-term peace.
I believe there has frequently been too narrow a focus on reciprocal steps to bring the opposing sides to the table for final status negotiations.
This has been a key failure of the "road map" in the past, and the Oslo Accords before it.
Having said that, I do want to reiterate something in case it is misunderstood. The Palestinians still regard the road map as an important framework for achieving peace.
As a performance-based plan intended to lead to a final and comprehensive settlement of the conflict by 2005, it still has much to offer. There will, of course, be a need to assess objectively the progress made against the plan, so that the political impetus for peace is not manipulated or lost.
The plan became stagnant in the past because, instead of step-by-step reciprocal gestures that were genuinely progressive, they were invariably cautious. The two sides must now at this time move forward in my opinion with confident larger steps.
I believe we must work together to create facts on the ground that inspire and facilitate peace, not the opposite. I believe the two sides have been moving in this general direction in the past few months. Maybe we can hope for results.
On its side the Palestinian Authority has made substantial progress by holding free and fair elections in January 2005 to ensure it had full democratic legitimacy for Palestinians in the West Bank, Gaza and Jerusalem. This is a commitment that comes under Phase 1 of the road map.
The newly elected president has also, since that date, made substantial progress in building confidence in the Palestinian security infrastructure, and calming armed resistance to Israel's occupation. We have committed ourselves to protecting the peace by deploying Palestinian security to areas under our control.
On a positive note also, Israel has effectively declared an end to its designs for Gaza, and an end to the military occupation of the area seems within reach.
I am not saying that these measures alone are sufficient or will bring lasting peace, but they are bolder in their scope than previous steps under the road map. As select initiatives they also prove what we are both capable of if we are creative.
On the negative side, the Israelis have continued to play political games with the road map. They continue to try to shift the burden for establishing peace on to the Palestinians by citing security concerns, when in fact security can only realistically be achieved jointly through mutual moves in the direction of peace.
On a negative note for the Palestinians, we have a weakened security apparatus following four years of Israeli aggression. This has depleted and nearly destroyed our capacity to provide a positive contribution to the protection or the security of Israelis and Palestinians.
However, one of the most serious concerns at the present time is Israel's continuing settlement activity in the West Bank, particularly around Jerusalem. This could derail everything we have worked towards if it does not cease.
Settlements in the West Bank are illegal and condemned internationally, yet Israel continues to build and expand settlements. This is not merely a violation of international law, but also a grave breach of the road map.
During recent meetings of the Quartet, the guardian of the road map comprising the US, EU, UN and the Russian Federation, the importance of Palestinian security reform side by side with a freeze on Israeli settlement expansion was reaffirmed.
The Palestinians are moving forward with reform, but it seems that, while we are doing this, Israel is not freezing its settlement.
The international community must ensure that there is parity between Israelis and the Palestinians in fulfilling the obligations of the road map, if we are to continue with it.
Efforts to forge a peace between the Palestinians and the Israelis will fail if Israel continues on its present course, because instead of step-by-step reciprocity we see the same old Israeli intransigence. Israel needs reform.
It must listen to the United Nations and the consensus of the international community which tells it to stop building settlements and end its occupation.
As an example of its grave violations of law, we need only consider its illegal "apartheid wall". The wall was condemned by the highest serving court of arbitration in the world, the UN's International Court of Justice. Despite a decision telling it to stop, Israel has ignored the judgment.
A real international drive is needed to end the injustice against the Palestinians. I am not unfortunately hopeful that we will see Israel desist in its illegal activity.
There is an imminent risk to the current stability. I therefore believe it is imperative to move forward quickly to negotiations.
It should not be hard, but we can expect it will be, even though there is a clear international consensus on what a negotiated settlement might look like in future.
For Palestinians the key elements must include an end to occupation in the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem, the exchange of "land for peace" leading to a viable state of Palestine alongside the state of Israel, both secure and respected within recognised borders, as set out in UN Security Council Resolutions 242, 338 and 1397.