It turns out, that the 255 Palestinian militants who were released from Israeli prisons last week as a sign of support for Mahmud Abbas may not be firing their rifles in the near future.
In their own sign of support for Abbas, scores of Fatah militants are handing in their weapons to the Palestinian Authority, and agreeing to a cease in para-military activity.
As reported by the New York Times, it seems as if one of the most dangerous groups in the Middle East is going to try to give negotiations a chance.
“Everything must come to an end,” said Mahdi Maraka, an Al Aksa Brigades leader from Nablus. “There are two tracks, the political and the military. Now is the time for the political stage.”
This seems very hopeful. Is it possible that between this sign of a grassroots ceasefire, and the visit of an Arab League delegation to Israel today that peace may be around the corner?
Nothing is certain in the Middle East, and while we are optimistic, we cannot ignore the possibility of renewed violence and strife. Even the now ‘peaceful’ militants recognize this, and understand that the motivation behind their actions is more significant that the actions themselves.
“I could hand over five rifles for the cameras and buy another 10,” said Ahmed Balboul, one of the most wanted men in Bethlehem. “Our intentions are more important than the rifles, and our intentions are turned toward negotiation.”
Lets pray that all intentions and actions continue to be directed towards peace.
