Palestinians face test of statehood after pullout

Under the eyes of the international community, Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas is well aware of the gargantuan task of transforming a poverty-stricken and violence-sodden territory into a model of good governance.

Calling for militant groups to hold fire during the historic pullout, Abbas could not have been more explicit.

"The responsibility of all our people (is) to maintain security in a civilised manner so we can reassure the world and send out a message that we deserve our state," he said last month.

US President George W. Bush put the onus on Abbas after the last settlers left Gaza three weeks ago, saying the Palestinians "must show the world that they will fight terrorism and govern in a peaceful way."

Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos added in words that could come to haunt the Palestinian leadership: "It's a great opportunity for the Palestinian Authority to prove they can rule and ensure security".

As Israel's soldiers were packing up their 38-year presence in Gaza, the extent of the security chaos that Abbas must tackle was emphasised by the assassination of his military advisor Mussa Arafat.

Security forces were twice called into action last week alone to fend off economic riots in southern Gaza.

Although life is no bed of roses, living standards and levels of security are significantly higher for Palestinians in the West Bank who still largely place their faith in Abbas's Fatah movement.

By contrast, unemployment soars at 45 percent in the Gaza Strip, one of the world's most densely populated slivers of land, where up to two-thirds of the population live in poverty.

Disillusionment with the Palestinian Authority runs so deep that the radical Islamist movement Hamas is expected to overtake Fatah in January's parliamentary elections in Gaza if not the Palestinian territories as a whole.

Palestinians have long blamed many of their problems on the pernicious effects of occupation. By leaving Gaza, Israel hopes to undercut that argument.

The Palestinians, however, maintain that the occupation will effectively continue as Israel still dictates the terms of their access in and out of the territory.

"If the withdrawal was from all of the occupied territories with proper movement then that could be a valid test" of the Palestinians' ability to govern themselves, said planning minister Ghassan al-Khatib.

Meanwhile, Sharon said in a published interview yesterday that Israel would keep building in its large West Bank settlements after a Gaza pullout, despite expected US objections.

Sharon, speaking to the Washing-ton Post newspaper on the eve of an army withdrawal from Gaza, reiterated his intention to retain large West Bank settlement blocs under any future peace deal and continue construction in them as Israel sees fit.

"The major (settlement) blocs will stay as part of Israel ... yes, we have small-scale construction within the lines. ... even now there is construction," he said in comments likely to anger Palestinians who want the West Bank and Gaza for a state.