Wednesday February 21, 2007

I've Been Thinking:

The tri-party summit between Rice, Olmert and Abbas was much more exciting than we were led to believe.
Fireworks were sparking behind those closed doors.

Olmert to Abbas: "you cheated me" by coming into a unity government with Hamas that does not recognize Israel.
Abbas to Olmert: "you gave me nothing and didn't keep your word."
It was 45 minutes of yelling.

The polarization between the parties is dramatic, but when all was said and done, both sides agreed to keep the channels of communication open.
Their office spokespeople and aides have already continued the dialogue.

The United States and Israel are coming to grips with a new reality.
Abbas shattered any sense of trust by signing the Mecca Accord.
Abbas attempted to make Hamas more acceptable and his plan backfired.
Abbas is tarnished and he sits in a government that is antithetical to his promises to the US.

Sometimes the best laid plans go completely awry.