A vicious circle has encroached upon both sides of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict: violent eruption>bloodshed>temporary quiet> appeasement talks which do not lead to any appeasement, and once again a new outburst. It will take more than just the Romanticists of the Left, or the reputation seeking go-getters and corrupt politicians to succeed in breaking break this cycle; we must talk with whom the public follows and believes in.
On the Palestinian side, this currently involves the Hamas, which is offering us a long-term ceasefire. If we ignore it, we will end up opening the door to El Qaida. Most of the Israeli public tends to consider the Hamas to be a despicable organization of murderers that is barred from talks, but in the Palestinian Authority "Only the Hamas Can Do it" – just as only Begin could forgo the Sinai, and only Ariel Sharon could disengage from Gaza.
