THE TROPHY OF PEACE. More like atrophy in this case, but why quibble. Apparently peace between Israel and the Palestinian Arabs is now something to be won, not worked out. This from the same Boston Globe that last week condemned Israel both for the 'occupation' and for giving Gaza to the PA. According to The Boston Globe:

SOMETIMES WEAKNESS is strength. On the face of it, the drubbing administered to Fatah -- once the engine of Palestinian national aspirations -- by Iranian-backed Islamic extremist Hamas militias in Gaza's "Three Day War," was a humiliating setback for the forces of regional moderation. But by acting swiftly and successfully to contain the damage, the area's "losers" may emerge with the greatest trophy of all: an Israeli-Palestinian peace stabilized by broad regional support.

...The shock of Hamas's Gaza blitz elicited a coordinated response from these and other players that could serve as a diplomatic model. All endorsed Abbas's dissolution of the existing government and his replacing it with Fatah figures, led by esteemed international economist Salam Fayyad. Israel indicated that it would begin to unfreeze for Abbas hundreds of millions of dollars in customs payments owed to Gaza.

Let's assume for the sake of argument that this "diplomatic model" does not include the civil war and attendant butchery that has taken us to this point. But no matter what the model, one thing is certain: the only demands mentioned are those to be placed on Israel:

At the same time, the Israelis said they would continue substantial deliveries of oil, water, and electricity to Gaza. The aim is to isolate "Hamastan" diplomatically, not to torture its people. Abbas, of course, wants more from the Israelis: the release of prisoners, fewer road blocks and check points, stricter enforcement of laws restricting settlement activity. These are not old chums, but parties to a nasty, costly conflict whose bitter legacy is still very much part of the fabric of daily life. The suicide bombers were not all Hamas men. During the period when settlement activity exploded, the infant Hamas was a social welfare organization devoted to education and healthcare.

Yet there is a sense of renewed opportunity in the air. Olmert needs to move toward peace to justify his retention in office; Abbas to redeem the promise of his good intentions. The conservative Arab regimes of Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Egypt would rather see Israel focused on Iran than fighting Palestinians. In recent conversations, they have seemed far more flexible on such issues as borders and the "right of return" than their public statements would suggest.

Actually, that infant Hamas is actually somewhat more akin to Rosemary's baby:

Created in 1987 by Sheikh Ahmed Yassin of the Gaza wing of the Muslim Brotherhood at the beginning of the First Intifada, Hamas is best known outside the Palestinian territories for its suicide bombings and other attacks directed against civilians and Israeli military and security forces targets. Hamas' charter (written in 1988 and still in effect) calls for the destruction of the State of Israel and its replacement with a Palestinian Islamic state in the area that is now Israel, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip. Vehemently anti-Israel and, according to some, anti-Semitic its charter states: "There is no solution for the Palestinian question except through Jihad."

And if there is anything in the air it is the smell of the fight for political survival for both Olmert and Abbas--the latter for whom survival may be for more than just his job. Ironically, a criticism of media coverage is accepting the public statements of Islamic leaders that are meant for world consumption and ignoring what they actually are saying to their followers. Now The Boston Globe is telling us there are secret conversations that are more liberal than what they are saying in public--care to share with us what they are saying and to whom?

The article concludes:

But in calculating one's answer, it would be wise not to underestimate the power of weakness.

Appeasement springs eternal.

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