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Source: http://www.jcpa.org/brief/brief005-21.htm
Dilemmas of Israeli Policy After the Hamas Victory: From Disengagement to Consolidation?
(ICA/JCPA) Chuck Freilich - Assuming Hamas proves itself inalterably opposed to peace, it can be expected that the new Israeli government will explore the idea of further unilateralism in the West Bank, reflecting a growing Israeli despair over the prospects for a negotiated settlement. To be effective, this should be made contingent on a major U.S., EU, and international quid pro quo, including recognition of its "consolidation" policy as the fulfillment of all steps required of Israel under the Roadmap, pending final status negotiations, and of the vacated area in the West Bank and Gaza as the Roadmap's provisional Palestinian state for the future. There should also be explicit EU recognition of the 2004 Bush letter which states that Israel's future borders will reflect demographic realities, that the refugee issue can only be resolved within a Palestinian state, and that Israel has the right to defensible borders. The author, formerly Israeli Deputy National Security Adviser, is now a Senior Fellow at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government.