Pat Lancaster

The international community has long sought an end to terrorism and violence in Israel and the Palestinian territories. The latest effort, proposed in 2002 by the United States, United Nations, Russia, and the European Union is the Road Map, a three-phase process that culminates in the creation of an independent Palestinian state and the end to violence in the region. In the following viewpoint Pat Lancaster claims that while it is not without flaws, the Road Map is an important first step to peace in the Middle East. Lancaster contends, however, that the map can only succeed if Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon and his Palestinian counterpart Mahmoud Abbas can overcome criticism from political rivals. Lancaster is a writer for the journal Middle East.

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