E Pluribus Unum

Natan Sharansky, a former Soviet dissident, is deputy prime minister of Israel. I believe that before his career is over, he will be recognized as one of the great figures of our time. He recently wrote in the Wall Street Journal about President Bush's call for democracy in the Palestinian territories.

[I]t is still widely believed that all that is necessary to get the peace process back on track is to convince [Arafat] or some other Palestinian interlocutor that nothing will be gained through the use of terror. But with his speech...President Bush made clear that the source of the problem is the nature of the Palestinian regime, not this or that Palestinian leader. The president’s words point to a truth that many seem to have forgotten: that there is a fundamental difference between democratic leaders and dictators. Because democratic leaders are dependent on the will of the people, they strive to promote peace and prosperity, opting for war only as a last resort. By contrast, in dictatorships, external enemies become the dictator’s lifeblood, enabling him to divert discontent with his own repressive rule. Reared in the Soviet Union, I came to understand that international security and democracy are inextricably linked. President Bush’s speech suggests he shares a similar vision. The question now facing policy makers, both in Israel and around the world, is how to translate this vision into a workable peace plan.

Sharansky's words are backed up by experience. When he says he was "reared in the Soviet Union," he is really saying he was imprisioned in the Soviet gulag for several years for his advocacy of human rights for Soviet Jewry. He goes on to outline how he would implement Bush's plan. This is the road map that everyone has been looking for:

The first step would be the establishment of an international coordinating body.

[A] Palestinian Administrative Authority (PAA) would administer the areas under Palestinian control during a three-year transition period.

The PAA will be responsible for administering the day-to-day lives of the Palestinians in matters such as the economy, law enforcement and education.

Israel will be responsible for security and freedom of passage in all of the West Bank, and will retain the right to set up transition zones and buffer zones to prevent the resurgence of terror activities.

The PAA will be expected to develop the infrastructure for Palestinian democratic life...The distribution of international aid and assistance will be dependent on ensuring these freedoms.

The coordinating body will dismantle all Palestinian refugee camps, and a normal existence will be offered for those evacuated from the camps.

Arab countries, with assistance from the United Nations, will finance this effort.

An international fund will be established to create and finance industrial zones, infrastructure projects, and other economic activities in the PAA.

After a three-year transition period, free elections will be held in the areas administered by the PAA.

Israel will then negotiate the terms of a permanent peace with the elected representatives of the Palestinian people. Just as Germany and Japan had to undergo a process of rehabilitation in order to rejoin the international community following World War II, so today Palestinian society must undergo a transformation. I hope that we will not be sidetracked once again by accepting Arafat’s phony promises of reform or legitimating his call for snap elections. This will only serve to perpetuate dictatorial rule that will preclude the possibility of peace. Everyone who genuinely wants peace in our region should now heed the president’s call and work toward reforming Palestinian society. For only if the Palestinians are truly free can we hope to achieve peace and stability in the Middle East.