By presenting his new three-stage process toward the establishment of a Palestinian state, PA President Mahmoud Abbas is now trying to maneuver amid the complex circumstances in which he finds himself: the renewed call for negotiations with Israel in the first stage is designed to twist Hamas’ arm, contain intra-Palestinian tensions, and influence the US mediator, whereas promoting the idea of joining international institutions and threatening to take Israel to court stem in part from the lack of domestic legitimacy to negotiate with Israel. • To the extent that the Abbas-led initiative gathers momentum, Israel will in the next few months be left with a difficult starting position for political moves, both vis-à-vis the Palestinians and the international community. Therefore, an Israeli initiative that manages to convey a drive to resolve the Arab-Israeli conflict based on a responsible, long term, sober view of Israel’s vital national interests could well balance the scales in advance of the coming political rounds.
