Sharon, and his successor, Olmert, have set down impossible conditions for talks with the Hamas (which were not set down for the PLO on the eve of the Oslo Accords) – and Olmert supports continuing the policy which "determines" Israel's borders through unilateral withdrawals. But these "borders" are unacceptable to the Palestinians and world public opinion also rejects them; defining these borders will bring neither peace nor security.
There is no point in going back to our childish quibble with the Palestinians, characterizing the mid-eighties, because the majority of the public currently understands that there is no escape from a two state solution; this solution will be achieved only through direct negotiations. It is not clear whether the day after the elections we will indeed be able to enter expansive negotiations with the Hamas – but rejecting this option a priori would be a rash and even destructive move.
