Surprise Development - Israel, U.S. May Shun Palestinian Government

In what seems to be the Israeli-Palestinian version of groundhog day, it's very much business as usual it seems...

JERUSALEM Feb 18, 2007 (AP)

The U.S. and Israel agreed ahead of a three-way meeting with the Palestinians to shun any new Palestinian government that does not renounce violence, recognize Israel and accept existing peace agreements, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Sunday.

That's a surprise move, is it not? I can't say I am particularly stunned by this announcement, but I am still left wondering about a few lose ends in these demands, small but important details that seem to be absent from every pronouncement and debate on the matter...

• When does Israel intend to renounce violence, given that it was born out of violence and has lived by violence for every moment of its existence?
• Even if the Palestinians were inclined so to do, which I believe would be a huge error, how can they possibly recognise Israel when the latter steadfastly refuses to define its own borders?
• Can Israel name a date from which it intends to accept,
  implement and stick to existing peace agreements?

The platform of a new Palestinian power-sharing agreement, reached in Saudi Arabia earlier this month, speaks only of "respect" for existing peace deals.

Perhaps the Israelis simply don't understand this statement because the whole notion of respecting agreements is foreign to them?

"A Palestinian government that won't accept the Quartet conditions won't receive recognition and cooperation," Olmert said. "The American and Israeli positions are totally identical on this issue."

Another first. Total unanimity between the U.S. and Israel. What next? Billions of dollars of subsidy from U.S. taxpayer's pockets to prop up the failed state of Israel?

The Palestinians should make it clear that they recognise do recognise the state Israel... that they recognise it as a violent, supremacist and hate filled state illegally established on Palestinian lands through the use of intimidation, terrorism and ethnic cleansing.