A MONTH after the elections that brought him to power, the Israeli Prime Minister, Mr Benjamin Netanyahu, has finally dispatched an envoy to meet the man who is supposed to be Israel's most vital peace partner, the President of the Palestinian Authority, Mr Yasser Arafat.
The meeting between Mr Arafat and Dr Dore Gold, the new Prime Minister's policy adviser, took place at Mr Arafat's home in Gaza City on Thursday night, without any pre publicity.
Dr Gold is said to have assured Mr Arafat of the new Israeli government's commitment to peace accords already signed, and to reaching a permanent settlement with the Palestinians.
He is also said to have handed Mr Arafat a list of alleged Palestinian violations of the Oslo peace accords.
These alleged violations could yet serve as a pretext for the Netanyahu government to seek renegotiation of some aspects of the accords, notably the arrangements for the oft delayed Israeli troops withdrawal from Hebron.
Mr Netanyahu has evinced great reluctance to meet Mr Arafat himself. The Prime Minister is understood to have sanctioned the talks involving Dr Gold only after military officials warned him that low level, day to day Israeli Palestinian security co operation was being undermined by the lack of high level contacts.
Mr Arafat, who had been complaining that the new government was ignoring him, and who has compiled his own list of alleged Israeli Oslo violations, is now likely to have a meeting soon with one of Mr Netanyahu's ministerial colleagues, probably the Foreign Minister, Mr David Levy.
News of the Gaza meeting prompted a predictable protest at yesterday's cabinet meeting in Jerusalem, with the Science Minister, Mr Benny Begin, especially vociferous.
Mr Netanyahu is reported to have curtly reminded Mr Begin where the door was, and invited him to leave if he so disliked the government's policies.
Mr Netanyahu has failed to state clearly, thus far, how he intends to move the Palestinian process forward. But he has made clear that any new incidents of Islamic extremist violence would be blamed on Mr Arafat, and would bring a halt to all contacts.
Contrasting with the previous government's commitment to making peace while simultaneously fighting terrorism, this new stance would seem almost to encourage the extremists to act, in order to kill off all prospects of reconciliation.