In recent days, leaders of Israel's political center-left have managed to generate a measure of public interest in an alternative to the moribund negotiations with the Palestinians. It began with the highly publicized meeting in Paris between former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Sept. 21. After the meeting, Olmert said that only Abbas is able to implement the two-state solution.

Several days later, on Sept. 25, an opposition leader, Tzipi Livni, also met with Abbas, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly meeting, at a New York City hotel. This event, too, generated major headlines in Israel, largely due to Livni’s aides, who shared information about the meeting with the press.

Livni reportedly implored the despondent Palestinian leader not to walk away from negotiations and encouraged him to resume a dialogue with the United States to push forward the two-state solution to the conflict with Israel. Livni told Abbas that seclusion, one-sided moves against Israel and wanton destruction would be an eternal tragedy. According to Livni, such steps “may lead to deterioration on the ground, a loss of control, and the loss of the two-state solution.” Livni further urged the aging Palestinian leader to mobilize to resolve the situation in Gaza and return to discussions rather than attacking the United States. She also said the Israeli government should conduct talks with moderate states in the region.

Olmert and Livni are among the top leaders of the Israeli center-left. To test the waters of a two-state solution, they left their longtime political home in the Likud in 2005. Along with then-Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, they established Kadima (Hebrew for “forward”), which presented a clear vision: two states for two people based on the 1967 borders. It derived its power from its leadership hailing from the Likud. The party eventually crashed, dealing the two-state vision a severe blow.