Sharon, Abbas, and Rice announce that there's a cease-fire between Israel and the Palestinians, and everybody seems to be pleased.
I guess I am too, except there's something I can't quite figure out. All this time, the PA has disavowed any responsibility for terrorist attacks in Israel. Whether Hamas, PIJ, Hizballah, or the al-Aksa Martyrs' brigade claimed responsibility for the murders, the PA blamed Israel for making it impossible for Palestinian security forces to put a lid on it. So Abbas is either offering something he can't deliver, or else he lied all along before.
Meanwhile, terrorist attacks are way down lately, in large part due to the much-maligned security barrier.
All of which raises the issue whether Sharon is giving away soemthing in return for nothing. I actually don't think it's that bad - it is good in any event for Israel to reduce its military presence in the territories, the point of their activity having long since been made.
What still remains is the unpleasant work of destroying the terrorist organizations and evacuating first Gaza, and then parts of the West Bank. This can only happen if the “cease fire” appears to work, and that will take a lot of effort and an equal measure luck. Sent wirelessly from my Blackberry.
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