Israel's Policy Options

There have been some fundamental changes in the peace process over the last year. On the Syrian channel: After years of stagnation there are signs of activity through mediators. The Syrians declared that Israel has signaled that it would be willing to withdraw from the Golan Heights on certain conditions. What is taking place is still far from direct negotiations, and each side is suspicious of the other. On the Palestinian channel: While Israel conducts negotiations with Abu Mazen, the split in the Palestinian camp completely rules out ג€“ at least for the foreseeable future ג€“ the possibility of realizing a political solution that relates to the Gaza Strip and the West Bank as a single entity.