31.   Israelis strongly support the sweeping West Bank offensive, believing that it has successfully suppressed Palestinian violence.

32.   It could aid their long quest to shift the onus in international opinion of the conflict from Palestinian violence to Israeli occupation.

33.   It was only after a new eruption of Palestinian violence in September and the summit meeting in Washington in early October that negotiations resumed in earnest.

34.   It is the worst internal Palestinian violence in the Gaza Strip since the beginning of self-rule from Israel in May.

35.   Netanyahu, on his side, is miffed that the administration has qualified its criticism of Palestinian violence.

36.   Now, after two months of Palestinian violence and Israeli retaliation, it may be near-impossible.

37.   Of course all this would depend on a credible end to Palestinian violence.

38.   On Tuesday, the Shin Bet security service reported a sharp decline in all forms of Palestinian violence, from firebombings to shootings.

39.   Palestinian leaders are demanding immediate negotiations toward statehood, arguing that the chief obstacle is not Palestinian violence but Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

40.   Others insist he is executing a dark master plan, provoking Palestinian violence to build a pretext for occupying the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.