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Lately, hardly a week has gone by without a head of state, whether president, chancellor or prime minister, visiting Israel. While it is true that these important guests come to declare their commitment to Israel's continued existence and security on its 60th Anniversary, they join a long list of Foreign and Defense Ministers who come here with the attempt to contribute to the ongoing negotiations between Israel and Abu Mazen's Palestinian Authority.

Indeed, more than in the past we now live in strange times. On the one hand, negotiations launched at Annapolis are proceeding seriously with our Palestinians partners on the West Bank, while on the other hand violence is the order of the day in the South, the Gaza strip. This reflects the real, deepening rift within the Palestinian political body. It is the expression of two distinct tendencies existing in the Palestinian world: the more pragmatic part, represented by the Fath' and other independent elements who have recognized Israel and consider the two states solution to be the ultimate goal - and another part of the Palestinian society, who in the past years has grown more radical, represents fundamentalist Islam, and rejects the existence of Israel on ideological-religious grounds.

Unfortunately, the Quartet's decision to preclude any contacts with the Hamas as long as it does not fulfill three basic conditions - (stop terrorism, recognize Israel, respect previous agreements) failed to bring about the desired changes; neither have economic sanctions softened the Hamas' resolve to do everything in its power to sabotage the ongoing negotiations.

And so, the Israeli Government and the Israel Labour Party, as a part of it, faces real, complex dilemmas: how to proceed with negotiations in the face of public protest which result from the frequent daily shellings of Israel's southern cities and towns, how to respond to this unprecedented wave of violence which takes a heavy toll on citizens, how to effectively protect their security.

Even though the public demands stronger action to eliminate these daily threats, Israel's Minister of Defense, The Chairman of our Party, has managed, so far, to impose a policy of restraint.

At the same time, one should not ignore the fact that lack of progress in the negotiations can negatively affect President Abu Mazen's position. For Israel, progress is dependent on an increased sense of security - and that in turn is tied to the Palestinian Authority's capacity to fight against terrorism. To do so, and to strengthen public support among the Palestinians, Abu Mazen must improve the conditions of life of his people.

It is within these parameters that negotiations must move forward, dealing with fundamental core issues that have divided us for so many years - and to reach solutions that will demand sacrifices on both sides. Improving the atmosphere and creating better conditions on the ground could give credibility to a process that is seen with equal skepticism by many on both sides. Ultimately, this is the prerequisite to make difficult decisions acceptable to our public.

One thing has however become clear to both sides: time is not an unlimited commodity - it is running out. An agreement which could be reached this year may become impossible later. A failure to find solutions could trigger renewed violence, from which only the extremists would profit. Should we not reach a firm understanding on two states soon, that solution, too, may become a thing of the past for us all.

Colette Avital is a Labor Party member of the Israeli Knesset, where she is Deputy Speaker. Among her many foreign service positions, Ms. Avital has served as Israel's ambassador to Portugal and as Israel's Consul General to New York.