If the reports are accurate, there is absolutely nothing wrong with the meeting between Kadima chairwoman Tzipi Livni and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas (who is incidentally using Amman as his own private diplomatic parlor). The opposition leader feels a strong desire to be involved in diplomatic endeavors, and such a meeting with senior-most Palestinians satisfies this desire. According to accounts, the meeting revolved around efforts to renew Israeli-Palestinian peace talks. Those present reported that the main topics of discussion were Hamas' role as an obstacle to peace, and the need for Abbas to test Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's declared intentions by resuming direct negotiations. Especially noteworthy are Abbas' demeanor and message: He is more confident than before; he insists that he will fight terror until his very last day in office; he promises that Hamas will only be invited to join a Palestinian unity government if it agrees to recognize Israel. He is also suggests a new-old deal: He will not take unilateral steps to join the U.N. as long as Israel freezes construction in West Bank settlements. Abbas' deal is a booby trap. He has no interest in a two-state solution, but fruitless negotiations while settlement construction is on hold that is convenient for him. Until the storm passes. Until after the elections in the U.S. For Abbas this would be the lesser of the evils, which is the maximum that can be attained. No Israeli government can agree to such a deal without a defined time frame, but past experience teaches us that it is possible to halt construction for a limited time. Abbas failed to take advantage of the last construction freeze and refused to negotiate. Will he agree next time? It is unclear. He is making demands, perhaps hoping that Netanyahu will not respond. The recent past has seen several peace offerings: Netanyahu halted the demolition of the Mughrabi Bridge, and renewed the transfer of tax funds to the Palestinian Authority. He would be wise to freeze settlement construction for the winter months from Hanukkah to Shavuot, for example. This issue is not removed from Israel's political turns the coalition is currently stable but many politicians have been listening for faint echoes of an imminent stampede. They have been hearing the rustle of instability. It started in Kadima, where party members are overtly rebelling against the leadership and everyone is at odds with everyone, and continued with the Labor party where the camps of Shelly Yachimovich and Amir Peretz are duking it out over who will be the next head of the Histadrut labor federation. The perpetual hatred has once again been ignited. The Right is also experiencing some degree of turmoil with level-headed politicians making extreme suggestions and rabbis relying on conservative Halachic rulings. There is no explicit sign heralding the collapse of the government, but everyone is preparing for a rainy day, wearing raincoats in the sunshine.
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