We were going to blog the most recent absolutist Palestinian demand under something like "good luck getting that through the Knesset". But that won't work since it turns out that Olmert isn't bringing the agreement to the Knesset. Instead, it's a beautiful illustration of why Olmert's tough talk about both sides making compromises is kind of a tired old fib:

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told the Knesset at the opening of its Winter Session on Monday that the current Palestinian leadership wants to move forward toward peace with Israel and that he would not use excuses to stall peace talks.... Olmert said Israel would have to give up on some of its deeply held desires - an apparent reference to holding on to the West Bank - and added that the Palestinians "will have to deal with the need to concede part of their dreams in order to build with us a realistic, if not ideal, if not perfect" future of peace and security.

That line sounded a lot better when it was coming from leftists that we actually have a modicum of faith in, like Rabin and Barak. It wasn't a particularly good line even back then, but at least it didn't also have to bear the weight of historical and personal failure when it was being delivered. Instead it's back to the old pattern - Israel wrenchingly gives up tangible land and the Palestinians promise some amorphous peace that all recent news proves they either can't or won't enforce.

Other than the destruction of Israel itself - which is (a) supposed to be a prerequisite for talks and (b) something that the Palestinians have already granted under past agreements - what exactly are the Palestinians giving up this time around? And you can't say "right of return", because - again - they're already supposed to have given up on destroying Israel. Abbas did say that it's going to be all or nothing when it comes to Palestinian demands. Turns out, rightwing pro-Israeli groups were being a little unfair when they said that Abbas never tells the truth.

References:
* Israeli Security Foils 7 Suicide Bombings From Fatah-Controlled West Bank [MR]
* 'A Palestine without all of east J'lem as capital won't work' [JPost]
* 'We need to give up deeply held desires' [JPost]
* Abbas: "If You Don't Give Me Everything I Won't Accept Anything" [MR]

Previously:
* Olmert's Way Of Celebrating Ramadan Different Than The Time That Syria And Egypt Celebrated Ramadan By Trying To Wipe Out Israel
* State Department Gets Bright Idea: Let's Screw Israel Even More By Bundling Syria Into The Israeli-Palestinian Peace Process
* Giving Land To Fatah Is Giving Land To Hamas - Fatah Still Losing In Gaza Edition (Plus: Giving Weapons To Fatah Is Giving Weapons To Hamas Too)