George W. has the opportunity to take over where Mr. Clinton left off. There were holes in Mr. Clinton's peace plan, true. But his initiative was very respectable and could be followed by George W. Bush, a new leader with whom Arafat would be more apt to work with than Clinton. Bush has not said what he will do with the Middle East situation, and had remained ambiguous in an interview with The New York Times on January 14. But I do think it's important for our country to speak with one voice.
Any plan has to be agreed upon by the parties.
The best change for a peace agreement is if Bush can convince Israel to give enough land to Palestine for them to govern their own state. One area, the Jordan River Valley, is an area in which Israel troops now occupy, and is a strategic military point. If Bush could convince Israel to offer this area, then maybe a peace accord is not as far from reality as critics believe. Whatever George W. does, he needs to act quickly. The momentum is strong as a result of Clinton's efforts.