Afaint flurry of diplomacy, a lull in the suicide bombings and a slight let-up in the military blockades have produced a glint of hopeful expectation after months of gloom and ominous escalation in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Ahmed Qurei (also known as Abu Alaa) is soon likely to win parliamentary approval to head a new and more permanent Palestinian government after running a temporary emergency cabinet for several weeks. Ariel Sharon, Israel's prime minister, says he will then meet Mr Qurei and resume the negotiations that collapsed with the fall of his predecessor, Mahmoud Abbas (also known as Abu Mazen) two months ago. Other Israeli officials, sniffing the wind, are conferring with key Palestinians. The defence minister, Shaul Mofaz, has seen the Palestinian finance minister, Salaam Fayed. The director of Shin Bet, Israel's security service, met Jibril Rajoub, a former top Palestinian security man who has recently returned to favour with Yasser Arafat, the ever-durable Palestinian leader. Israel's foreign minister, Silvan Shalom, says he too will hobnob with top Palestinians.
展开▼
