The Israelis, though, have linked the two issues. They have set a precondition that the Palestinians halt all violence first. However, many Israelis, even within the government, question whether Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat can control all his people. Confusion Radio Netherlands Middle East editor Bertus Hendriks says the issue has been the subject of an ongoing debate inside Israeli government circles. It's been fuelled by conflicting assessments from various security and intelligence services on Arafat's authority among his own people.
Military intelligence believe the Palestinian leader is firmly in control.
However, the domestic intelligence service, Shin Bet , is more sceptical. It has doubts about Arafat's ability to control all the groups within his own ranks, and particularly those that have remained outside his authority, such as Hamas and Jihad. This uncertainty about Arafat's powerbase contributes to the confusion that's sometimes apparent in actual Israeli policies. During this Second Intifada, the Israelis have even launched attacks on Mr Arafat's office. This has led to speculation that the Israeli government has concluded it would be better off without him.