In 2006, international aid to the Palestinians reached historically unprecedented levels. This was commensurate with the Palestinians' progress on implementing the Peace Process - except the total and exact opposite of that. Instead, the Palestinians have literally regressed to the mid-1990s:
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Wednesday that the US is discussing with the Palestinians the need to end incitement against Israel in schools and print maps that include the State of Israel... Testifying before a House subcommittee that controls foreign aid, Rice said the inclusion of Hamas in the government posed a challenge to Middle East peacemaking because of its refusal to recognize Israel and reject violence to achieve its aims. "Frankly, the formation of the Palestinian unity government has provided something of a challenge," she said. "The United States is not prepared to change its assistance policies toward this government because it does not recognize those foundational principles."
For those of you keeping track at home: yes, the last decade and a half has accomplished nothing except giving billions of dollars and kilometers of land to people who are now - openly and without exaggeration - unrepentant terrorists.
You'd think that Secretary Rice would be wary of the Peace Process. She just admitted that it failed and allowed the Palestinians to pocket concessions while become more radical. So no way she'd be enthusiastic about it. Sigh:
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is expected to press Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to continue holding talks about a "political horizon" with Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, and is expected to talk about these issues with Abbas herself, The Jerusalem Post has learned. Rice is scheduled to arrive here on Sunday for two days of talks, during which she has tentatively scheduled two rounds of talks each with Olmert and Abbas. She will be coming to Israel from Egypt and talks with the so-called Arab Quartet, which includes Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
This is insane. No, literally - it's the definition of insanity.
References:
* Rice to Palestinians: End incitement against Israel [YNet]
* Rice to press Olmert to continue talks [JPost]
* Benjamin Franklin Quotes
Previously:
* Condi NYT Quote Fabricated? Not So Fast
* Hamas Decides to Be Helpful, Illustrates Many Ways International Law is Structured Against Israel
* Katsav Right about Rabin, Olmert a Little Muddled about Oslo
