Trial balloons Some Palestinians are troubled by what they regard as trial balloons floated recently by Arafat to probe how much leeway he has to make concessions on matters of principle, especially the refugee question. The poll was conducted on June 23, before the summit announcement, but its findings attest to deep-seated perceptions which do not change on a daily or weekly basis. In other words, about 46 percent of respondents said that the gap between declared PA positions, and what the leadership will actually accept in negotiations, is very large. Many Palestinians feel that negotiations have been based on an unequal division of power between the sides, and have exploited their own side's weakness. Petition signers note that current Palestinian weakness can be overcome.
Time works to the advantage of whoever knows how to extract the most from it.
The status quo is not only a problem for the Palestinians - it is also a problem for Israel. Israel doesn't have many options. This Palestinian petition does not warn that conflicts and violent skirmishing will ensue, should Israel not accept UN resolutions and international law. Elsewhere, however, threat-mongering has become fashionable. Virtually all statements made recently by Palestinian and Israeli leaders have indicated, explicitly or implicitly, that summit failure could spell violence at some point down the road.