Mossad's botched assassination attempt on a political leader of the Palestinian Hamas group is the main reason for a shift of balance in the Middle East peace negotiations, as they resume this week, but it is not the only one.
Since US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright persuaded the leaders to resume talks, Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu has committed a number of diplomatic blunders which have cost him some of the support he can usually rely on from America, as well as valuable ground at the negotiating table.
Mr Netanyahu had already been rebuked by Ms Albright for pledging to build more homes on the West Bank - a move she described as 'not consistent with the climate needed for resuming peace talks'. The bungled assassination on Khaled Meshaal in Amman by Mossad agents carrying faked Canadian passports has widened international anger and caused intense embarrassment to King Hussein of Jordan. But it is obvious from the speed with which the Israelis rushed the poison antidote to Jordan and freed the ailing Sheik Ahmad Yassin, the spiritual leader of Hamas, that Mr Netanyahu no longer holds all the trump cards.
His credibility at home has suffered a setback. Palestinians will increase demands that the housing project is stopped, and in the light of Yasser Arafat's recent efforts to clamp down on terrorists, there is a chance they might win the day.
That would remove one of the main obstacles to progress in the talks. It is an issue which continues to inflame Palestinian opinion and uphold support for terrorist groups. Now things are altered. It would be ironic if Mr Netanyahu's blunder increased the chances of peace.
