A fallback plan in the Mideast?

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When Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon visits with President Bush next week, he will ask a question on the minds of many Israelis: What if the "road map" for peace fails?

While Mr. Sharon will reaffirm his government's commitment to seeking ways to make the U.S.-backed plan work, the increasing evidence that the Palestinians are unable or unwilling to keep their end of the bargain is raising the obvious question of what to do if the peace efforts collapse.

This issue was raised during a recent visit to Washington by Israel's former minister of internal security, Uzi Landau.

To date, it seems, none of the four architects of the so-called road map -- the United Nations, the European Union, Russia and the United States -- has given much thought to the prospect of failure.

They appear more interested in meeting their own self-imposed road-map deadlines than in the realities on the ground. Yet it is the realities, not the deadlines, that will ultimately determine success or failure.

For example, the United States, which declared last year that it would no longer deal with Yasser Arafat, is turning a blind eye to the reality that Mr. Arafat is continuing to call the shots. And all four sponsors of the road map are ignoring the reality that the Palestinians have refused to disarm their terrorist organizations, one of the plan's most urgent requirements.

The Palestinian leadership claims it is powerless to disarm the terrorists or dismantle their infrastructure, as called for by the road map. Instead of insisting that they comply, the sponsors are taking the easier route: pressuring Israel to make even more concessions than called for in the plan.

So far, while the Palestinians have done little or nothing, Israel has withdrawn troops from parts of Gaza and the West Bank, dismantled dozens of unauthorized settlements, eased roadblocks and other travel restrictions, released hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and offered to pay the Palestinian government millions of tax dollars.

Instead of reciprocating, the Palestinians say they can't move forward unless Israel does more. They are now calling for the release of all prisoners, including known terrorists and murderers, faster dismantling of Jewish settlements, further withdrawal of Israeli troops and removal of all restrictions on Yasser Arafat.