July 19, 2006 GETTING OUT OF THE PRESENT ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN CONFLAGRATION By Dr.Yair Hirschfeld, Director General, Economic Cooperation Foundation The present hostilities between Israel and the Palestinians have a major impact on other areas of the Middle East, and are accordingly of great concern not only to the parties immediately involved, but also to regional powers and the International Community at large. Here, as elsewhere, a wide coalition of the pragmatists, and a commonly prepared action plan is necessary, to make it possible to move from fighting to cease-fire, and from cease-fire to a sustained conflict management and resolution process. Here again, policy guidelines defined by the International Community, particularly the Quartet Roadmap, and the three conditions defined by the Quartet for acceptance are important way signs indicating landmarks on the way ahead. In attempting to describe a possible way out of the present situation, this short paper, relates to three issues: first, where Israel and the PA left off; second, the need for a public diplomacy effort; third, the need for a practical stability building program. 1. Where we left off Shortly before the kidnapping of Israeli soldiers by the Hisbollah and their attack on Israel sovereign territory, the Israeli-Palestinian dialogue had reached the beginning of a way out of the Israeli-Palestinian crisis situation. An understanding was being suggested and brokered by Egypt. The Palestinian side would oblige itself to release Gilad Shalit, alive and healthy; Qassam rocket attacks would stop completely, and a cease-fire would be announced and maintained. In a now publicly known meeting between Abu Mazen, and Yuval Diskin, head of Israel's security services, as published by Palestinian newspapers, the Israeli side offered not only to maintain the cease-fire, but to release in return for the cease-fire Palestinian prisoners held by Israel to President Abu Mazen. Thus new rules of the game should be created that would offer a reward for a Palestinian policy of stability building. Whereas, UN Security Council Resolution 1559 should guide a policy action plan in Lebanon, UN Security Council Resolution 1515, referring to the Roadmap, would guide a policy action plan for Israel and the PA. This approach should provide the opportunity to develop with all concerned parties- the Government of Israel, the PA, and the Quartet powers- a common public diplomacy initiative, which is being described in its basic contours, immediately below.