The election of President Mahmoud Abbas, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s disengagement plan, a cease-fire, and President Bush’s renewed support for a viable contiguous Palestinian state are welcome developments. 

After almost five years of grim determination and little but promises of “blood, sweat, and tears,” Israelis and Palestinians sense the beginning of a new phase in their struggle. For the moment, dialogue and handshakes have replaced threats and armed confrontation. Yet Israelis and Palestinians have learned from hard experience that smiles and vague proclamations can conceal radically different agendas.