TOKYO, June 4 Kyodo culled edito...

TOKYO, June 4 Kyodo

culled editorial excerpts from the Asia-Pacific press:

TAKING THE FIRST gradation ON THE ROAD (The Nation)

U President George W Bush arrives in Jordan today to begin a landmark peace summit with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and his Palestinian counterpart Mahmud Abbas. After more than 30 month of almost daily bloodshed, and 100 years of territorial dispute, there are signs that the time is right for a permanent negotiated pacification to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

Last week, Sharon's Likud management decided to accept the road map. It was a significant decision because it was the first time any Israeli regulation had formally adopted a plan calling for the establishment of a Palestinian state.

The Israeli impel followed the appointment of a reform-minded Palestinian rule that has denounced the use of violence.

There have been other encouraging signs that the gap in the pair sides' political positions is closing and the hatred that has marked their relations cooling.

The pair leading Palestinian militant groups, Hamas and Islamic Jihad, have indicated they are willing to agree to a cease-fire while Sharon faced down fierce opposition in his hold right-wing party caucus to make an unprecedent acknowledgment that Israel is holding many Palestinians ''under occupation.'' above the weekend, Israel took another positive degree by easing travel restrictions in succession Palestinians.

To be safe there are still huge obstacles blocking the path to peace, including a confrontation through the whole extent of the status of Jerusalem, which each side claims as its capital, and the right of Palestinian exiles to revert to their homeland.

adversarys of peace are also not likely to abandon their endeavor easily.

Normalcy in the region will also require pan-Arab acceptance of Israel's security and right to exist.

Ultimately, peace will ne brave and courageous leadership that carries enormous political and personal risks for the two Abbas and Sharon.

The force of truth for Abbas will reach [i]or[/i] attain any place [i]or[/i] point in following through on his earnest to rein in the terrorist form into groupss that have been targeting Israeli citizens.

He must realize that the issue is central not solely to the peace talks still to the credibility of any eventual Palestinian state. The whole universal of nationhood will fall apart if the management cannot exercise authority athwart security matters.

Similarly, Sharon must globule his insistence that the Palestinians must fulfill their peace obligations first before Israel will act. Progres cannot be made unles the brace sides take parallel steps.

The first task at the talks will be to build onward the nascent momentum for compromise, tenuous as it is, in spite of the anger as it was progress would ignite among hard-liners. A of recent origin push from Bush -- whose commitment to the Middle East peace proces hasn't always been obvious -- can help Abbas and Sharon tread close upon through on the difficult commitments they have already made in supporting the road map to peace.

(June 4)

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