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Last update - 09:41 11/03/2008 Prepare to sign By Haaretz Editorial Tags: Peace, PA, Gaza, Israel Israel is conducting two dialogues in parallel. One with its back to the enemy and the other with a potential partner. With Hamas, Israel's stance is to pretend "as if." As if there are no negotiations, as if there are no understandings, as if Israel did not succeed in twisting the group's arm. With the Palestinian Authority, Israel is making the right noises on cooperating to reach a signed agreement, even if it is labeled a "shelf agreement." In other words, not a realistic agreement for now. The two dialogues are leading to an impasse. Without a real accord on a bilateral cease-fire between Israel and Hamas, the relative calm characterized by the relatively small number of rockets fired against Israel will not last. Such an understanding cannot rely on hints; it needs the backing and cooperation of Egypt, which is meant to supervise its side at the border crossings. The understanding also requires the cooperation of the Palestinian Authority, which is party to the crossings agreement signed in 2005. For now, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is rejecting any dialogue with Hamas before the Islamic group restores the Gaza Strip to the situation before June 2007, when it took over the territory. Without an internal Palestinian agreement, and as long as the crossings remain shut, the situation in Gaza will remain explosive and Hamas will continue monopolizing control over the next flare-up. Advertisement At the same time, the PA, which exhibited amazing powerlesness in view of the events in Gaza and the subsequent terrorist attacks, cannot offer the residents of the West Bank and Gaza Strip an appropriate alternative to their miserable existence. The talks with Israel are still not providing a political horizon, or at least a positive scenario that could encourage the Palestinians. This is also the reason for the PA's weakness in dealing with terrorism, as demanded by Israel. This situation, which also worries Israeli intelligence officials, may spark the outbreak of yet another intifada. Even worse, as long as the feeling persists that the talks with Israel are pointless, Hamas can continue to argue that only it can change Israel's position. In light of this difficult situation, it is hard to understand why Israel continues to drag its feet and does not reach a real agreement with the PA. It is not a zero-sum game that Israel needs to play, but an overall outlook that the government must first adopt toward its citizens. This outlook should define the permanent borders Israel seeks, Jerusalem's status, and the settlements' future. As long as Israel does not answer these fundamental issues, it is hard to see how it can conduct effective negotiations with the Palestinians. Israel may argue that the force of its response in the Gaza Strip may deter and restore calm. Experience proves that this is a baseless claim. Israel must therefore utilize the current lull and the PA's willingness to immediately push forward in the negotiations and establish the parameters for a solution to the core issues, to get an agreement signed quickly. Bookmark to del.icio.us   Bring down the house Knesset speaker calls for wrecking of yeshiva killer's family home. Frum and fabulous Beauty salons offer Haredi women a unique brand of modest glamour.   1.   Boggles the Mind! 09:52  |  Flabbergasted 11/03/08   2.   Once again, Haaretz is spot on !! 09:53  |  Swiss (Dino) 11/03/08   3.   ONE HAND SIGN ... THE OTHER STEAL? 10:00  |  TripleJump 11/03/08   4.   And once again, Swiss is spot off! 10:07  |  Linichka 11/03/08   5.   OK Haaretz, thank you for being honest. 10:08  |  Dutch Dirk 11/03/08   6.   #1 I don`t think anyone suggests signing *that* away... 10:20  |  Johnboy 11/03/08   7.   Ask the leaders 10:26  |  stonebird 11/03/08   8.   Haniyeh has already said that there will be no free calm,in other 10:30  |  lakshmi 11/03/08   9.   #2 the clock macher is really cuckoo 10:38  |  v hardman 11/03/08   10.   LEFTIST SECULAR HUMANISTIC MADNESS ?? 10:42  |  Bill 11/03/08   11.   If Hamas and the PLO can agree that Israel is a legitamate"Jewish 10:51  |  Susanna/Shoshanna 11/03/08   12.   AS IF, AS IF Dushman are Disahman 10:57  |  ben shlomo 11/03/08   13.   With the `Al- Aksa Brigades` also? 11:01  |  Shalom Freedman 11/03/08   14.   Shas in Charge? 11:04  |  Mark of Lewiston 11/03/08   15.   Juvenile minded panicky editorial 11:04  |  Shalom Freedman 11/03/08   16.   Act in haste, regret at your leasure 11:14  |  Stan 11/03/08   17.   WHAT KIND OF REALISTIC AGREEMENT WOULD THAT BE? 11:24  |  indrajaya 11/03/08   18.   "Haaretz" wilfully lies ,it ommits the central pal demand "return 11:26  |  Absolute Sweden 11/03/08   19.   The One We Have Is Useless:To Quote A Lebanese Arab... 11:32  |  Yishai Kohen 11/03/08   20.   stop israeli peace lies, this is a joke 11:52  |  zele 11/03/08   21.   First get permission from die hard American Jews 12:08  |  El-Birawi 11/03/08   22.   Yoel Marcus has got it right 12:17  |  Boycott 11/03/08   23.   The most failed government should sign quickly? 12:29  |  Jonathan S 11/03/08   24.   Stupid Article 12:51  |  Gary 11/03/08   25.   Zele 12:54  |  Purple Canary 11/03/08   26.   Oslo... Oslo... Oslo... (echoing into the infinite distance) 12:55  |  Ovadiah ben Avraham 11/03/08   27.   swiss d still LOST in his poll-induced HAZE 13:04  |  CK Tan 11/03/08   28.   To #1 Dino 13:05  |  Hilda 11/03/08   29.   when will the left wing idologists learn how the world works 13:07  |  zionist forever 11/03/08   30.   They chose Hamas 13:08  |  Joseph 11/03/08   31.   Political symmetry 13:11  |  Joe 11/03/08   32.   Peace deal 13:23  |  marcel 11/03/08   33.   #9 Why does either Hamas or the PLO have to do that, Susanna? 13:31  |  Johnboy 11/03/08   34.   #26 You have got to be kidding 13:45  |  PantherJet 11/03/08   35.   Who Dares Truth? 13:47  |  Banka 11/03/08   36.   "Peace" of paper 13:52  |  Frank 11/03/08   37.   Get over it. 13:55  |  PantherJet 11/03/08   38.   #6 Hamas soon to be toasted Pita 14:01  |  PantherJet 11/03/08   39.   # 25 Hilda (our U.S. lady with the not so "kosher" name....:) 14:04  |  Swiss (Dino) 11/03/08   40.   El-Birawi the prophet speaks 14:11  |  PantherJet 11/03/08   41.   # 25 CK Tan thinks he makes some "valid" points...... 14:21  |  Swiss (Dino) 11/03/08   42.   Sign in invisible ink, since the Pals will not abide anyway... 14:24  |  Mr. Ami Goldman 11/03/08   43.   Reality Check 15:00  |  Concerned Individual 11/03/08   44.   Alternate title: Sign a deal behind backs of Israelis. Despicable 15:04  |  Chaim 11/03/08   45.   Prepare To Sign What? 15:10  |  Jeff Northridge 11/03/08   46.   Do we sign before or after Israel is `raped`? 15:17  |  Sammy 11/03/08   47.   A naive article - not connected to the reality 15:17  |  Ben gurion 11/03/08   48.   toilet paper 15:21  |  real vision 11/03/08   49.   PEACE canNOT be forced upon people, who do not want it! 15:22  |  AliciaYasmeen 11/03/08   50.   Abu Mazen is the wrong man 15:30  |  issy Hass 11/03/08   51.   palestinian reality 15:30  |  izaak 11/03/08   52.   Peace 15:40  |  Dan 11/03/08   53.   Leftists Prove Masturbation Leads to Blindness 15:46  |  B 11/03/08   54.   Reply to Jeff Northridge (Post No. 45) 15:53  |  Johnny Weintraub 11/03/08   55.   #3 Triple dump do you mean how could the idiots flare up in Gaza 15:56  |  Robert/Montreal 11/03/08   56.   #5 Double Dutch, there seems to be double standard here. 15:59  |  Robert/Montreal 11/03/08   57.   #6 Jonboy you never learn.... 16:03  |  Robert/Montreal 11/03/08   58.   #8 what land Laksmi did Israel take this time? 16:11  |  Robert/Montreal 11/03/08   59.   Johnboy # 31 Israel As A Jewish State 16:11  |  Jeff Northridge 11/03/08   60.   Mark of Lewiston always a plkeasure.#14 16:15  |  Robert/Montreal 11/03/08   61.   Signing peace deal with PA + $4 will buy U a coffee at Starbucks 16:15  |  Jack Levine 11/03/08   62.   Do Haaretz Editors want a peace deal with the Munich Butcher? 16:16  |  Itzak Berman 11/03/08   63.   it took hell of a long time....... 16:17  |  ravi 11/03/08   64.   #20 Zele yep that is why the Palestinkians broke the "lull" today 16:18  |  Robert/Montreal 11/03/08   65.   More useless paper agreements won`t stop rockets 16:19  |  B (The other one) 11/03/08   66.   Again lying Haaretz doesn`t mention bogus right of return 16:23  |  McQueen 11/03/08   67.   what a silly logic! -- actually a complete lack of it 16:35  |  felix 11/03/08   68.   You`re kidding, right................. 17:01  |  Dave from Chicago 11/03/08   69.   The Same as Prepare to Be Raped 17:07  |  Tod Zuckerman 11/03/08   70.   Racists 17:13  |  James 11/03/08   71.   58Robert/Montreal,you complain about israel`s small size,but you 17:15  |  lakshmi 11/03/08   72.