Knesset member Ksenia Svetlova of the Zionist Camp met with senior Fatah official Jibril Rajoub in Ramallah on Dec. 30. At this moment, when Israel and the Palestinian Authority (PA) are on a collision course and far from even talking about renewing negotiations between them, a meeting between an Israeli Knesset member and a close associate of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is no trivial matter.

The meeting took place at the request of Rajoub, who sought to send a message to the Israeli political establishment and the Israeli public. Before entering politics, Svetlova was a respected journalist on Arab affairs at the Russian-language Channel 9. She knows the conflict with the Palestinians well and is currently a member of a party that espouses the two-state vision.

It was clear to Svetlova that the conversation took place with the knowledge and blessing of Abbas, and she left it with the understanding that the Palestinian leadership is interested in returning to the negotiation table. According to her, despite their accomplishments on the diplomatic front, such as UN Security Council Resolution 2334, the PA understands that the Palestinian public is worn out and eager to change the situation on the ground. In a Jan. 10 interview with Al-Monitor, Svetlova said, “I have long-standing contact with Jibril Rajoub, from the time I was a journalist. I believe it’s important to keep channels open. This time I heard far more conciliatory things from him.”

Rajoub's message to Svetlova accords with Shlomi Eldar's Jan. 10 report that the Palestinians have accepted the possibility of the US Embassy moving from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, and that they do not intend to resist if this plan does take effect.