Road Map Shortcut: International pressure is building for more clarification on what a final status arrangement in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict might look like. On Thursday European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana said that "what we would like to do with our friends is to know what is the end game - once we have the end game, to know really how we can get there."

Israeli Deputy Defense Minister Ephraim Sneh said that "two years are enough to conclude a detailed agreement," between Israel and the Palestinians. "We should discuss, maybe for six months, the principles, and move forward about the details of final status agreement," Sneh said. The talks, continued Sneh, "can be direct, and I am sure, in the government of Israel, there is a majority for doing it." Sneh noted that moderate Arab states want progress on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict urgently. "We have an opportunity, but I don't know for how long will it last," he said. "We have to do it very, very quickly."

Jordan's King Abdullah II told Ha'aretz that "circumstances have changed since the Road Map was launched, and the sort of long drawn out phase approach, I don't think works anymore. So, we're looking at combining phases, I think, to move people as quickly as possible."

Indeed, when asked about the possibility of "shortening the distance" between different phases of the Road Map, "speeding up" talks about "the end game," or "giving the Palestinians something more substantive on the horizon" Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice responded that "I think it's worth examining. I don't think that the nature of a provisional state isn't proscriptive in. the roadmap. And at some point you would have to move anyway from the establishment of a state to actually being able to occupy the state. But my own view, and I frankly have been telling people this, [is] that if we get to that point it seems to me that it may be more difficult to negotiate a provisional state than just to go to the end game."

Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit noted that while the semantics may differ, the idea is the same: "It has different names with different partners. With the Europeans it's `framework'. With the Egyptians it's the `endgame'. With the Americans it's `the political horizon.' But the concept is almost one."

Rice is reportedly working to bring Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert together in informal talks about the "political horizon" that would ultimately lead to the establishment of a Palestinian state. A senior U.S. administration official, however, told reporters that the meeting would not forsake the Road Map. (Ha'aretz, 1/17 1/18 & 1/19/07; State Dept., 1/16/07)

Ticking Clock: In his Ha'aretz interview, Jordan's King Abdullah II also argued that "The frequency of conflict in this region is extremely alarming, and the perception, I believe, among Arabs, and partly among Israelis, is that in the summer Israel lost this round... And that creates a very difficult and a very dangerous precedence for radical thinking in the area. The stakes are getting higher and higher. So this is an opportunity to reach out to each other and make sure that the crisis of this summer doesn't happen again. If we don't move the peace process forward, it's only a matter of time until there is a conflict between Israel and somebody else in the region. And I think it's coming sooner rather than later. We all need to work together, because solving the Israeli-Palestinian problem allows us to tackle the other issues around us. All of us are looking at Iraq with concern, we don't know what's going to happen in Lebanon, although we hope that they're moving in the right direction... Whether people like it or not, the linchpin is always the Israeli-Palestinian problem."

Asked about the link between the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the Iranian nuclear threat, and terrorism, Abdullah responded diplomatically: "Through Hamas, Iran has been able to buy itself a seat on the table in talking about the Palestinian issue. And, as a result, through Hamas it does play a role in the issue of the Palestinians, as strange as that should sound. If we start moving the process forward, then there's less reason for (Iranian) engagement on the Palestinian issue."

After noting that "what happened this summer is just a taste of a lot of worse things to come if we don't change the direction of this discord," Abdullah was asked about how the Americans should further the process. He answered, "You have the Road Map, you have Taba, you have the Geneva Accords. So, we don't have to go back to the drawing board. Most of us know the facts and the issues extremely well. My only issue about the Road Map is that circumstances have changed since the Road Map was launched, and the sort of long drawn out phase approach, I don't think works anymore. So, we're looking at combining phases, I think, to move people as quickly as possible. The silent majority can be easily intimidated or swayed. And, I promise you, if tomorrow, [Prime Minister] Olmert and President Abbas sit down and shake hands and launch a peace process, there'll be extremists on either side that create violence and loss of life to try and destabilize the conflict. That is a given. We have to be stronger than that to be able to move the process forward." (Ha'aretz, 1/19/07)

Fatah vs. Hamas: Al-Ayyam reported on Saturday that the formation of a Palestinian national unity government is hindered by whether Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas or Hamas leaders would appoint an "independent figure" to serve as interior minister and by whether the prime minister in a new government would "respect" or "commit to" the terms of a letter to be sent by President Abbas. Reportedly, the draft text of this letter reads: "As a prime minister for the upcoming Palestinian government, I call upon you to commit to the highest interests of the Palestinian people, protect their rights and preserve and strengthen their gains. Work on achieving the national goals as agreed upon in the sessions of the [Palestinian] National Council and the Articles of the Basic Law and the national agreement document and to commit to the resolutions of the Arab summits, international and Palestinian legitimacy and the agreements signed by the PLO."

According to an opinion poll conducted by Near East Consulting, 94% of Palestinians said that the initiative to resume the national dialogue in order to form a unity government was good and effective while 6% said that it was a bad initiative. 72% expressed their optimism in the success of the initiative. The opinion poll was conducted January 12-15 and questioned 825 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank including Jerusalem. The margin of error is 3.4%.

The poll revealed that 72% of the Palestinians support signing a peace treaty with Israel compared to 28% who are opposed. 56% of respondents demanded that Hamas change its position that calls for Israel's destruction while 44% called on Hamas to stick to its position.

54% of respondents held Hamas and Fatah equally responsible for the recent violence. 24% blamed Hamas and 22% blamed Fatah. Only 56% of Palestinians ruled out the possibility of a civil war. 79% of respondents supported assimilating the Hamas militias into the official security organizations.

As for the belief that Hamas failed in achieving its electoral program, 60% said that Hamas failed because it was not given a decent chance, while 17% said it failed because it was not qualified, and 14% said that Hamas did not take advantage of the chance it was given. 9% said that Hamas did not fail.

In comparison with the results of an opinion poll conducted last month immediately after President Abbas called for early presidential and legislative elections, the support for elections dropped from 63% to 51%. As for whether elections would solve the internal conflict, in December 63% viewed elections as a solution to the crisis. Now 63% - the same percentage - believe that it would make things worse.

In the event the legislative elections were held, Fatah would receive 40% support, Hamas would get 23%. 10% said that they would not vote for any faction and 16% said that they would boycott the elections. The results of the poll show an increase in the popularity of Fatah in the Gaza Strip, which reached 48% in comparison to Hamas (28%). (Al-Ayyam, 1/20/07; Al-Quds, 1/17/07)

Roadblock Controversy: On Tuesday, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert praised the IDF for its efforts to improve Palestinian quality of life: "The defense establishment is making a tremendous effort to reduce the number of roadblocks, to ease movement in Judea and Samaria, and to make a significant contribution to the residents' quality of life." His statement followed an IDF announcement that 44 West Bank roadblocks had been removed. Olmert called for continued action, noting that "there is a large population whose quality of life will decide what kind of neighbors they will be." At one West Bank crossing that features high-tech equipment - provided by the U.S. government - for scanning trucks entering Israel, Olmert pressed that wait time for trucks should be cut from 45 minutes to 15.

However, a report today in Ha'aretz quotes a military source who suggested that the IDF is padding its numbers. The source explained that the 44 roadblocks "had either been removed before the political level decided on the alleviations or had been bypassed by Palestinians earlier, and a decision had been made not to rebuild them." The total number of West Bank roadblocks in Israeli media reports varied from 160 to 400, while the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported finding 528 checkpoints and unmanned obstacles in the West Bank in November.

The removal of roadblocks and Friday's transfer of $100 million of Palestinian tax funds held by Israel are seen in Israel as the fulfillment of some commitments that Olmert made to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in their December 24, 2006 meeting. (Ha'aretz, 1/16, 1/17, 1/19 & 1/22/07; Hatzofe, 1/17/07)

Regional Normalization: Israel and Turkey have tentatively agreed to build a network of pipelines to ship oil, natural gas, and fresh water from Turkey to Israel. The deal was reached earlier this month between Israeli Infrastructure Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer and Turkish Energy Minister Hilmi Guler. It is not yet clear, however, where the pipes will be laid. One proposal, estimated to cost $2 billion, would lay an underwater pipeline between Hiafa and Turkey. An economic feasibility study of this proposal is expected to begin work soon. Israeli officials expressed concerned that Iran will pressure Turkey to stop this joint project.

Meanwhile, Israel's exports of plastic and rubber products to Arab countries - including Morocco, Egypt, Tunisia, Jordan, Algeria, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Iraq - rose by 10% in 2006 to total $48 million. Israel's worldwide plastics and rubber exports totaled $3.58 billion in 2006. Dr. Ilan Tessler, chairman of the Society of Israel Plastics and Rubber Industry said that exports to Arab countries were comprised mainly of plastic agricultural items, plastic sheets and boards, drips, plastic irrigation equipment, equipment for the home and garden, disposable dishes, and sophisticated sheets for packaging food. (Ha'aretz, 1/16/07; Ma'ariv, 1/16/07; Hatzofe, 1/16/07)

Cold Feet: Israeli Defense Minister Amir Peretz has frozen his approval for the establishment of the settlement of Maskiot in the Jordan Valley. This would have been the first new official Israeli settlement established in over a decade. Peretz's earlier decision to allow the construction of 30 new homes at the site sparked criticism abroad, including from U.S. and E.U. spokespersons, and in Israel. Jordan Valley Regional Council head Dubi Tal criticized the about-face, saying that Peretz reversed himself with an eye towards the Labor primaries. Tal said he intended to appeal to Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, who he says authorized the housing units in Maskiot, adding that he hoped that Olmert, unlike Peretz, would stand by his word.

Some settlers aren't waiting for political permission in order to take action. Settlers and political activists associated with a group founded in memory of Meir Kahane [founder of the outlawed Kach party] have launched an initiative to plant 15,000 fruit trees in lands that surround West Bank outposts. The goal is to "strengthen the hold on territory in the Land of Israel," explained Benzi Gupstein, an activist with the group. "We want to grab as much territory as possible so that it will be difficult to evacuate the residents of the outposts and so that the Arabs won't be able to get control of the lands," said Gupstein. Donations from Israel and abroad are reportedly funding this endeavor. (Israel Radio, 1/19/07; Jerusalem Post, 1/19/07; Ynet, 1/22/07)

Déjà vu: A rabbinical ruling by extremist rabbis has termed IDF Central Command chief Major General Yair Naveh a mosser. The punishment of a mosser, according to Jewish tradition, is death. The ruling was issued by an unofficial body called the "Court for Matters of Nation and State," presided over by Rabbi Israel Ariel, the former number two in the Kach party [a group recognized as a Foreign Terrorist Organization by the U.S. and which is banned in Israel]. Other signatories to the decree include Rabbis Reuvan Hass, Yehuda Edri and Ido Ebo, as well as Bar-Ilan Professor Hillel Weiss. The ruling was requested by two right wing activists who are forbidden from entering the West Bank by a restraining order signed by Naveh. Central Command officials explain that the restraining orders had successfully reduced friction between Jews and Palestinians.

Rabbi Yishai Babad, secretary of the Rabbinic Committee of the Yesha Council, said that the ruling against Naveh was correct in principle, but that "Yesha rabbis would not issue such a decision for fear some hothead might get the wrong idea and try to take the law into his own hands." Other settlers were a little less equivocal in their condemnation. Betar Illit Mayor Yitzhak Pindrus said that "the public must denounce those uneducated louts, who cynically manipulate the Torah in a damaging way against a senior IDF officer who has done so much to support Jewish settlements."

Defense Minister Amir Peretz condemned the ruling, saying, "we must not surrender to such violence in any way, shape or form." Knesset Member Ophir Pines asked the attorney general to open an investigation against the rabbis who signed the religious ruling. Chief Rabbi Yona Metzger said, "religious rulings of this kind have no place in religious law or in reality. I protest and warn of the danger inherent in such religious rulings. History proves that there are extremists who are liable to take the law into their own hands because of them. The rabbis have a responsibility to moderate the public, not incite it." (Ma'ariv, 1/18 &1/21/07; Jerusalem Post, 1/19/07)

Hebron Fallout: The Israeli press continues to react to video footage of confrontations between settlers and Palestinians in Hebron. Hebron settler Yifat Alkobi, who appears in the footage, was questioned by police on suspicion of several violent attacks on Palestinians, including attacking Yusuf Aza, a 10-yer-old boy. The boy told Yesh Din, an Israeli human rights organization, that Alkobi had pushed rocks into his mouth and closed his jaws forcefully on them, breaking some of his teeth.

A Ha'aretz editorial took issue with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's statement that he was ashamed by the footage, noting that "a prime minister was not elected to be ashamed, but to take action. The bully settlement in Hebron is an example of the national stupidity that overtook Israel when it decided to settle forcefully in every place of religious significance, regardless of political realities. This is another obstacle that must be removed, and if Ehud Olmert would succeed in carrying out only this one essential deed, it would be possible to describe his tenure in office as having had positive results."

Holocaust survivor and former Justice Minister Yossef "Tommy" Lapid wrote: "This woman, whose name turns out to be Yifat Alkobi, who stood in Hebron in front of her Arab neighbor, who was imprisoned in a cage inside her home, cursed her, spat at her and threatened her, seemed familiar to me from somewhere. Slowly but surely, from the inner recesses of my childhood memories, the image arose of a Hungarian neighbor in Novi Sad, who stood in the entrance of her home and cursed us every time we would go out in the street, just like Yifat Alkobi.

"When we impose upon ourselves, and rightly so, the restriction of not comparing in any way or under any condition, the behavior of Jews to the behavior of Nazis, we forget that anti-Semitism only peaked in Auschwitz. It existed, active, frightening, offensive and repulsive, just like the face of Yifat Alkobi, in the years that came before Auschwitz. And behind the curtains hid frightened Jews, just like the Arab woman from the Abu Aisha family in Hebron. there is no explanation or justification for hooliganism as is revealed, time after time, on the part of the Jewish settlement in Hebron towards its neighbors.

"The settlement in Hebron was the original sin. Now it is being compounded with further crimes. And we, the Jewish citizens of Israel, wave a reprimanding finger at most. We forget that this persecution of Palestinian neighbors in Hebron does not only take place in the minute we see it on television, but day after day, every day of the year (except for Yom Kippur). The truth is that I too only make a peep here or there and fulfill my duty by writing such articles. Worse: I tolerated this silently as justice minister too.We are familiar with the excuse of `we didn't know.' Well, we know. And we will not be able to give an accounting of our failure, never, neither to our children nor to our conscience, if we do not make sure that the army and the police put an end to the Jewish barbarity in Hebron."

"The laws of the state are not being implemented in the city with due haste, particularly regarding Israeli citizens" said Deputy Defense Minister Ephraim Sneh during a visit to Hebron last Monday. Sneh was accompanied by Hagai Alon - a political aide to the defense minister, and Hebron Brigade Commander Colonel Yehuda Fuchs. IDF officers reported to Sneh of the settlers' taking over Palestinian homes surrounding the Jewish community's area. Some of these houses had been abandoned by their owners following the settlers' ongoing attacks and harassment, while others were purchased in dubious ways. "We cannot allow the fact that people live in cages because someone is harassing them in an area we control," Sneh said. He added that the Cabinet committee set up to deal with the settlers' law violations in Hebron will have its hands full. (Ha'aretz, 1/16 & 1/19/07; Ma'ariv 1/17/07)