Secret talks between senior Israeli and Palestinian security officers on new security arrangements for the West Bank were reportedly held in recent weeks. After almost six months of random individual terror attacks on Israelis, West Bank Palestinians are coming to the conclusion that this round of violence — defined by some as a third intifada — is not producing any political benefit nor is it affecting Israeli public opinion or provoking an awakening of the international community.
In a recent public opinion poll published on March 14 by the Jerusalem Media and Communication Center, 41% of Palestinians oppose continuation of the violent uprising against Israel. Among the opposing voices, 51.6% are from the West Bank. This has led, according to this poll, to a moderation in Palestinian public opinion: Support for Fatah in the West Bank and Gaza Strip is 35.5% as opposed to only 16.5% who support Hamas. Of those participating in the poll, 82% oppose the Islamic State. Most importantly, 69% of those responding support a two-state solution against only 24.8% who support a binational state. Surprisingly perhaps, 52.7% of the Palestinians favor security cooperation with Israel.
