The more talks accelerate between Israel and the Palestinians ahead of the international conference and the formulation of new diplomatic plans, the more reports crop up of objections by Labor Party Chairman and Defense Minister Ehud Barak to changing the "no-partner" policy. In a statement to party members and the media Friday, Barak quickly denied reports that he had considered the meeting between Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas "air, or if you will, atmosphere." He also denied saying that the talks before the renewal of negotiations for a final-status agreement were nothing but "fantasies" and that he objected to withdrawing from territory before Israel had the means to intercept various types of missiles.

The Labor Party chairman, who has pledged to follow Yitzhak Rabin's path, argues, according to various sources, that there is no difference between Fatah and Hamas, and objects to Olmert's pledge to Abbas to considerably reduce the number of internal roadblocks in the West Bank. He has even proposed treating with skepticism the Palestinian request, supported by the Quartet headed by the United States, to increase freedom of movement in the West Bank. Barak claims that Abbas and Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayad "have an interest in leaving the roadblocks in place as long as they are unable to stop terror attacks on Israel."

However, following the storm and criticism Barak's remarks caused, he announced that he supported strengthening the moderate forces in the West Bank and the international effort to solve the conflict, including the international conference to be held at the end of the year.