A Knife Pointed at Peace Accord : Violent efforts to undermine Israel-PLO agreement must be quashed

The Israel-Palestine Liberation Organization agreement to work for peace could stand or fall on how effectively security forces on both sides are able to prevent extremists from trying to sabotage it during the period leading up to a definitive settlement.

The subversion effort has already begun. Its latest manifestation was the brutal weekend murders of two Israeli hikers near the West Bank town of Jericho. A group known as Islamic Holy War--one of about a dozen Palestinian groups openly opposed to the peace process--says it was responsible.

The Israeli Cabinet repeated Sunday that such outrages wouldn’t be permitted to derail the talks with the PLO. That’s the right line to take. But it’s one thing for a government to reaffirm its commitment to a policy; the real challenge will be in holding on to public support for that policy as new acts of terrorism are attempted.

The Israel-PLO accord leaves Israel “responsible for overall security of Israelis” in the territories during the five-year interim period. It also provides for an armed PLO police force to take over law-and-order functions in the Gaza Strip and Jericho, where the experiment in Palestinian self-rule is to begin. Some extremists among Israeli settlers have threatened to shoot at any armed Palestinians they see, police or not. Many voice doubts that the PLO police force will be able or willing to curb radicals who reject all deals with Israel.

It’s up to the PLO to prove the skeptics wrong when it comes to controlling individuals and groups that are now openly committed to destroying the peace process, just as it’s going to be up to Israeli authorities to rein in those radical Israelis who say they will defy their government and seek to undermine the accord with violence.

The effort on both sides must be immediate and determined. On both sides there must be zero tolerance for violence, because it would take very few instances of violence to fuel suspicions of bad faith and worse. No grace period can be allowed. Israeli and PLO authorities must show from the beginning that they reject and will move vigorously against all threats to security, no matter who is responsible for those attacks.