The Israeli public is divided over the question as to whether there is a negotiating partner on the Palestinian side. Those who argue that there is no partner support blatant uni-lateral actions, which reinforce Palestinian terror; conversely, those who insist that there is a Palestinian partner lose domestic legitimacy for their political moves and become hostages of terror.
The diplomatic high road to the solution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is bi-directional. Concurrent to progress on the "Road Map" route, Israel must take independent and unconditional initiative, with the crux being the gradual and uncompelled evacuation from the territories of Judea and Samaria and a declaration of its commitment to a two-state solution. The real objective of this uni-lateral initiative is a bi-lateral process, ending in a permanent settlement.
