AL-BIREH, West Bank -- In the 48 hours following the horrific suicide bombings in Israel, hawkish Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon addressed the nation while simultaneously increasing, by yet another step, Israel's part of the violence in the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians. Sadly, no end to the violence is in sight, and it is likely to get worse -- much worse. If this statement sounds like a broken record, it's because it is.

The suicide attacks, brought on by the deplorable Israeli policy of yet another state-sanctioned extra-judicial assassination of a Hamas member last week, have brought Israelis and the Palestinians to the brink of total war.

Unfortunately, neither Israel nor the U.S. administration has come to its senses and realized that, after 34 years of Israeli military occupation, the burning question is not why there was another suicide bomb attack, but rather why there are not more.

Some things in life are either right or wrong. Was slavery not wrong until African-Americans proved their worthiness of freedom? Was apartheid not wrong until South Africans reached the brink of annihilation? No. Each practice had always qualified for outright termination. Neither was partially wrong or subject to debate. The Israeli occupation of the West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem joins these ranks, even though this historic wrong comes during an era of political spin and satellite TV.

The time has come for the world community to bring the Israeli occupation tumbling down. Its fall will be the beginning of the end for the breeding grounds of suicide bombers.

More and more voices are being heard within the Israeli leadership to either kill Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat or remove him from the area and "topple" the Palestinian Authority. Most Israelis are now firmly convinced that there is absolutely "no partner" for peace and that peace is not possible.

The Israeli public naively takes refuge in the sight of missile attacks on Palestinian cities while forgetting that for each missile fired into a Palestinian neighborhood more and more potential suicide bombers make the decision to take innocent lives. Destroying Arafat's helicopters will not bring hope to the growing number of Palestinians who equate life under occupation to death.

The Israeli side must realize that the solution to the occupation is not, nor can it ever be, more occupation, more bombings and more state assassinations. It is the occupation itself -- resulting in the closures, poverty levels, unemployment and utter despair -- that provides a fertile ground for the recruitment, deployment and support of suicide bombers and other terrorists. It is the senseless death of children and adults that are feeding the flames of hatred on both sides.

As the legitimate elected representative of the Palestinian people, Arafat must ensure that his voice and intentions are clear, and that a national -- not just a personal -- strategy exists for working toward a negotiated agreement. It is up to Arafat and the Palestinian Authority to convince the Palestinian and Israeli public that there is, indeed, hope for an agreement as well as prospects for a good neighbor on the Palestinian side.

Much of the action needed to realize this hope is being called for by Palestinians themselves: the rule of law, accountability in decision-making and collective leadership -- in other words, concrete progress toward the competency needed to establish a viable state. The absolute wrongness of the occupation does not justify chaotic, nontransparent development and solo leadership.

The only way to break the brutal circle of violence is to end the occupation immediately, unilaterally if necessary; deploy a peacekeeping force in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip; and begin to dismantle the settlements.

The only long-term solution that we can see is the establishment of an independent Palestinian state along the lines of the 1967 borders, with a capital in East Jerusalem, plus efforts to create a just and fair solution for the right of return by Palestinian refugees.

The occupation is evil. Further occupation now being proposed by senior decision-makers on the Israeli side would only increase that evil, raise the stakes on both sides, and ensure that the events of this week will repeat endlessly.