Not unexpectedly, the rightist MKs already attacked the new initiative between Palestinian officials and Israeli leftist MKs. Some people will always try to find potholes in a chance for a deal that contains the end of the occupation and the settlements dream. Maybe some of the accusations are valid. The Accords do talk about far reaching concessions, some of them might even be beyond the red line, such as the vague section about the right of return.

It is true that handling negotiations with the Palestinian is a matter to an elected government and not unelected privates. However, the flawed way that Sharon’s government is waging the conflict by must drive the opposition to take steps. The initiative was not signed between government and has no official standing. Therefore, it is not an act of subversion nor impersonation. It is a reminded for the government that there is someone to talk to. The pretense that there isn’t only costs us more blood and more pain.

Like it or not, the way out of this war is not a military action. Not only. There has to be a combination of military operations and attempt to wage a political process too. Unfortunately, the Israeli politics is divided to extremists from both sides. On one hand we have the hawks, who won’t compromise, who believe in unrestricted military action and that the occupation can last forever, or maybe it will end: with transfer. Transfer is impossible now in the 21th century.

On the other hand we have the doves, who believe that the savagery Palestinian terrorism can be tackled with kid gloves. A political process alone without teeth won’t help either. Unilateral withdrawal is not a magic cure, and you have to kill first those who come to kill you. Those characters are mirroring each other, and provide no real solution.

Sharon will have to understand, eventually, that he must strive for a political settlement. He will have to negotiate with the Palestinians and accept major concessions. He will get it in the easy way or the hard way.

After abandoning the Ultra-Orthodox, the Likud’s traditional allies, Sharon might do the same to the extremist settlers. It might be the time for a Likud-Shinui-Labor and maybe even Meretz government that will handle this fragile situations. This is the alternative to the two things that Israel can’t absorb: elections every two years, and this crazy rightwing government.