The ongoing paralysis in Israeli-Palestinian negotiations is attributable – so conventional wisdom has it – to the absence of a viable negotiating partner. Israelis claim that Yasser Arafat was untrustworthy, that Mahmoud Abbas is too weak, and that Hamas is unacceptable. Palestinians, in turn, have expressed their lack of confidence first in Ehud Barak, then in Ariel Sharon, and now in the politically beleaguered Ehud Olmert.
These protestations are beginning to ring hollow. One suspects that these constant person-centered procrastinations are merely an excuse not to deal with the real heart of the matter. The problem is not that there is nobody to talk to, but that no leader wants to tackle the hard issues that need to be talked about.
The reciprocal reluctance to contend with the core problems of the conflict stems from the fear that any permanent settlement will require concessions that go beyond what the present leadership is politically willing or able to offer.
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