Veiled optimism for peace talks

ISRAELIS and Palestinians far from yesterday's summit in Egypt expressed doubts whether a ceasefire declared by Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and President Mahmoud Abbas could end four years of bloodshed.

"You can try to make peace but there are always terrorists behind the scenes who want something else," said Benita Rol, a 47-year-old Israeli, after the Israeli and Palestinian leaders met in Egypt.

Palestinian militant groups behind dozens of suicide bombings in Israel said they were not bound by the pledges made to halt bloodshed but would continue to follow a de facto truce that has sharply reduced violence over the past several weeks.

"I hope the ceasefire will lead to quiet so that we will be able to lead normal lives. But that's hard for me to believe," said Ms Rol, a secretary.

Palestinians, whose cities are surrounded by Israeli roadblocks and often raided by troops searching for militants, said only a full Israeli pullout from land captured in the 1967 Middle East war could bring true peace.

"I'm also not happy with the ongoing violence but obviously it's a result of occupation and oppression," said Murad Sufian, a 35-year-old engineer. "If Israel ends its occupation of our lands, then all problems will be solved."

Sawsan Gazawi, a 28-year-old Palestinian, said a ceasefire was temporary and violence was likely to begin again "because they didn't agree on resuming talks on key issues like a state, Jerusalem and (Palestinian) refugees."

Mr Sharon said at the summit in Egypt's Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh that a planned Israeli pullout from the Gaza Strip this summer could pave the way towards starting the implementation of a US-backed peace roadmap.

The plan, stalled by violence, charts mutual steps toward the creation of a Palestinian state alongside a secure Israel. Despite the mood of caution, an opinion poll in Israel's Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper showed 61% of Israelis were optimistic to some degree there would soon be a period of calm in the region.

But Yoav Kanyas, a 32-year-old Israeli graduate student, said that he doubted there would be any immediate change.

"I don't think anyone in Israel thinks it will be different tomorrow and there will be quiet. The Palestinian uprising will not stop," Kanyas said. "However, there is some sort of optimism for peace, which was not there until now."