Newly elected Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas indicated that he was ready to 'move' on the U.S. backed 'Roadmap' for peace in the middle east that would result in the creation of a Palestinain State.

The first action Abbas would have to take is to crack down on terrorist groups who deny Israel's right to exist and continue to use violence against Israelis both in Israel and the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

'The road map starts with security commitments and then moves on to final-status issues ... we are ready to implement our commitments,' Abbas said.

Abbas has asked terrorist groups like Hamas, Hezbollah and Islamic Jihad to agree to a cease fire but as of yet, the militants have refused to do so. Violence continued in the area yesterday as terrorists ambushed an Israeli settler in the Gaza Strip. Abbas has indicated he wishes to negotiate with Hamas rather than confront them, a stragtegy which may be difficult to enforce. Even the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, a part of Abbas's own Fatah faction, have said they will continue attacking Israelis 'as long as one occupier remains on our land.'

Israel is required to withdraw from all settlements started after September 28, 2000 and to freeze all settlement activity in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has already pledged to dismantle all Israeli settlements in the Gaza Strip in 2005 and has established a unity government with the Labor Party to help carry out the withdrawal.

Abbas has to walk a fine line between meeting U.S. and Israeli expectations that he crack down on terror and not losing credibility with Palestinians who will accuse him of caving in to Israeli and U.S. demands instead of representing his own people. Terrorists will have the upper an advantage because they can force Abbas's hand by continuing acts of violence that would require him to confront them directly, something he is reluctant to do.

Still, there is renewed hope in the Middle East even as violence continues. Sharon telephoned Abbas to congratulate him on his victory and the two leaders are reportedly looking to meet some time in the near future. Peace in the Middle East will be a long and difficult process but at least it appears the two sides have taken some small steps down that road in recent days.