For nearly two years, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other senior leaders have hammered home a single point: "Why are Palestinians refusing to negotiate with us?" Netanyahu repeatedly said that he would go anywhere — including Ramallah — to meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and initiate peace talks. At one time, he suggested setting up a tent somewhere between Jerusalem and Ramallah, so that the two parties could meet and theoretically solve the decadeslong conflict.

Today, a good two months into the US-sponsored nine-month secret Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, the only voice calling for public meetings is that of the Palestinian leader. Netanyahu, who waited 27 minutes and 48 seconds into his UN General Assembly speech to mention the Palestinians, appears to have all but forgotten his public demands to meet face to face with Abbas.

This week, Abbas appears to have pleasantly surprised Israeli Knesset members, whom he hosted at the Ramallah headquarters of the Palestinian government. The New York Times reported that Abbas did not use the word "occupation" in his public address to the Israeli delegation and barely mentioned the hot topic of Jewish settlements. Knesset member Hilik Bar, head of a 40-member left-wing caucus in the 120-member legislature, praised Abbas and his description of where the talks are heading. “I didn’t think it was going in a good direction. To hear that from Abbas, it is meaningful.”

In contrast with Abbas' conciliatory approach, Netanyahu appears to have escalated the anti-Palestinian rhetoric, claiming that the Palestinian mufti supported the Nazis, and that if Palestinians were serious about peace they would recognize Israel as a "Jewish state." Palestinians have repeatedly rejected the request, stating that 20% of Israeli citizens are non-Jewish Palestinian Arabs, while conceding that Israel can call itself whatever it wants.