Israel's decision to unilaterally pull its settlements from the Gaza Strip was seen as a historic and potentially hopeful move.

But as events of the past several days have demonstrated, the pullout by and of itself will hardly translate into peace or stability in the region.

The Gaza pullout stirred Palestinian hopes for further retreats from settlements on the West Bank.

That's not likely.

Just Wednesday, the Israeli Justice Ministry said orders were given to seize Palestinian land for a separation barrier along a route that would effectively annex the West Bank's largest Jewish settlement to Jerusalem.

This is land the Palestinians claim as part of an eventual Palestinian state. But the move signals Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is even more determined to maintain control of Israel's main settlements in the West Bank following the Gaza pullout.

At the same time, there was a surge of violence after days of relative quiet during the pullout. At least five Palestinians and one Jew were killed in separate incidents.

What's left is the hope that the Gaza pullout will permit a test case, if you will, of the Palestinian Authority's ability to develop a stable, nonthreatening institutional presence. It is also a test case of Israel's willingness to let the Palestinians succeed through economic aid and facilitation of trade and transportation routes, which are critical for economic success.

That makes it imperative that the Bush administration, which has taken a rather understandable hands-off approach to the region, step up its diplomatic, economic and political efforts to both demand and ensure that the Gaza experiment succeeds.