Hope and Fear

Hope and fear, weaved inseparably together, mark the mood in Israel today. The almond tree blossoms, dotting the land along the roads, reflect the hope: perhaps the new Palestinian government and the "newly reformed" Israeli Prime Minister can put an end to the four year nightmare that tortured us all, Israelis and Palestinians. The fear, on the other hand, stems from the same bitter nightmare: after experiencing the abyss of the Intifada can we trust the other side? Can we trust ourselves? Are we still capable of looking hopefully forward, rather than fearfully back?

In Jerusalem, last Sunday evening, I sat one table away from Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, who came directly from the historic cabinet meeting that confirmed the disengagement. Looking tired but determined, he read his statement in Hebrew and English, stressing that this was the most difficult decision he had to make in his 50 year military and political career. In front of us I saw a statesman, not a politician, a man taking the road not taken, paying the price of isolation in his own party, jeopardizing his career and endangering his very life.

A politician would never take this road. This is the conduct of a statesman who is truly concerned about the well being of his nation in the next generation, rather than his own well being in the next election. Will the hope tip the balance and drive away the fear?

Amir Shaviv, an executive of the Joint Distribution Committee, was in Israel with a mission of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish organizations. .