Does Israel Have To Trust Abbas In Order To Negotiate With Him?

One leader at least thinks Israel should be able to trust the people it negotiates with:

"We cannot move forward until there is some confidence that the Palestinians are able to provide the security apparatus that would prevent constant attacks against Israel from taking place."

Which Israeli leader said this?

Actually, it wasn't an Israeli leader at all--it was Barack Obama.

Of course, you can be forgiven if you get the impression that Obama's continuous pressure on Israel to negotiate with Abbas, who enjoys honoring terrorists who murder Israelis somehow contradicts his claim that negotiating is a matter of trust.

But Obama is not actually contradicting himself, since he made the above statement in January 2008 when he was merely candidate Obama.

Still, this is not a cheap shot, comparing Obama now with comments he made over 3 years ago.

The point is, Abbas certainly did not become a better peace partner by joining up with Hamas terrorists to form a "unity government."

So does Obama think that Israel needs to have confidence in Abbas or not?
If yes, just why should Israelis trust Abbas?
If not, why should Israel even sit down at the same table with him?

In the weeks and months to come, Obama will have to provide a credible answer to that question.

Technorati Tag: Obama.