Gaza withdrawal gives both sides an opening

For Israel, the encouraging news is that the worst didn't happen during evacuation of all 21 settlements in the Gaza Strip and four in the West Bank.

The violence didn't reach the level that military commanders had prepared for, though soldiers had to endure settlers spraying acid, paint and kerosene at them. The fact that they didn't overreact is a testament to their training and their belief in the mission. Though some ultra-Orthodox rabbis had called for mass resistance, many settlers left on their own. Some of those who resisted the most were not Gaza residents. The policy that a majority of the country supported was carried out, and Israel emerged with its secular democracy in place.

Still, the last month has been a time of great national stress, and the natural inclination in Israel will be to pause. An editorial in the Haaretz newspaper said, "We all deserve to rest, to relax somewhat," but added, "without forgetting that in the big battle over the identity of the state, this is only a lull." Indeed, among Palestinians in Gaza, anticipation is building. It will be up to the United States to press both sides in different ways so that the Gaza withdrawal leads to more than just the Gaza withdrawal.

With Israel gone, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas needs to establish a foothold in Gaza. A recent assessment of his security forces concluded that he still has not consolidated the many factions that existed under Yasser Arafat. If he is not successful, Hamas will become the stronger entity in Gaza. With Palestinian legislative elections set for January, Mr. Abbas will have to show voters that he can exploit the opportunity that Israel's withdrawal permits.

The suspicion is that Mr. Sharon left Gaza unilaterally to establish a precedent that will allow him to do so in the West Bank -- after using Israel's security fence to claim territory that should be part of final-stage negotiations. One indicator will be whether lots of Gaza settlers are moved to within Israel or to the occupied territory. In the short term, the United States should prod Mr. Sharon to dismantle the West Bank settlement outposts.

Whatever the motives of Mr. Sharon -- who faces election next year -- there could be helpful momentum in the Israel-Palestinian conflict for the first time in almost five years. The Palestinians have been given a chance to build the state they want, and Israel has reaffirmed its own traditional identity.