The Palestinian Election vs Reality

The more I read about the realities of the Palestinian election and Mahmoud Abbas, the new Palestinian leader, the more I wonder what the Bush Administration is so positive about. A column in the Washington Times today by Cal Thomas presents a far more realistic view. He says:

The major Middle East distinction is that Israel's goal is peace, while the single goal of the Palestinian side and Arab states is the elimination of Israel. The Palestinian view of "give and take" is that Israel is to always give, while the Palestinians always take, delivering nothing in return. The more Israel gives, the more terror and death it receives.

The past activities of Abbas and his recent actions and statements validate what Cal Thomas says. Perhaps the U.S. government is just hoping against hope that the election of Abbas will make a difference for the better, but it looks to me like they're just whistling past the graveyard.

(Thanks to Esther at Outside the Blogway for the tip to this column.)