Is Olmert "Insane"?

We are going to Annapolis because even after these 14 years we still believe we have a partner, and that the majority of the Palestinians want to live in peace.

- Ehud Olmert, 2007 (*)


Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

- Albert Einstein

And there's this:-

The United States security coordinator in the Palestinian Authority said he does not believe Palestinian security forces in the West Bank are capable of enforcing security needs in cities there, according to statements made recently in private talks.

General Keith Dayton's views are seconded by the PA, which recently informed Israel that it lacks the necessary infrastructure to deploy police officers in Nablus.

(*) The rest of Olmert's tripe:-

A month from now, in Annapolis, an international meeting will take place under the auspices of which we will try to find a way that will lead, I hope, to an end to the conflict between us and the Palestinians. We will attend the meeting having learned from experience and with no illusions.

I do not know if the time for peace is ripe, but I do know that as Prime Minister it is my duty to take every action in order to reach that moment or at least to bring it closer, as Yitzhak Rabin believed and desired. That is why we will be there, in Annapolis. We will be alert, prudent, and cautious - but ready for any chance of deliberations between us and the Palestinians.

We already know: peace is not made at international conferences - peace is not made on a piece of paper, elegant as it might be - peace is built from good will and genuine readiness to accept the existence of another, while understanding his needs and fears.

Here, I would like to say clearly: the 60 years of this state are filled with our painful afflictions that continue to weigh us down and shape our opinions day by day. The Jewish people, citizens of this state, tens of thousands of families live a constant agony that cannot be imagined, and memories and yearning over those lost. Never will we forget the pain and suffering with which we had to live, they will always be an inseparable part of our lives, and will always accompany the decision making process related to the effort to end the conflict.

In all fairness I feel an obligation to say that those whom we are facing also dealt with the pain of separation, of loss, and hardship.

We are sure and strong enough in our righteousness to recognize the pain of the Palestinians and say to them: "We are not indifferent to the feelings of indignity and hardship that a great many of you feel. There is only one way to solve this problem - to make peace."

Peace is not made with a magical act and shortcuts.

This is why we will conduct this negotiation with the Palestinians cautiously and responsibly - but also with determination. A two-fold determination: a determination to carry on, to exhaust every possibility of reaching an agreement, but also a determination to guard the vital interests of the State of Israel, and to ensure the well-being and safety of its citizens.

We are going to Annapolis because even after these 14 years - filled with hopes, disappointments, and frustration - we still believe we have a partner, and that the majority of the Palestinians want to live in peace; just as a majority of the Israeli people wish to change the reality that has formed and solidified these past 40 years, a reality that casts a threatening shadow over the State of Israel being a Jewish democratic state.

We know that the forces opposed to the way of peace in Palestinian society are stronger than we thought, and that those on the other side desiring peace are not always ready to take the necessary steps against the enemies of peace.

We know this, but the old Jewish dictum says: "Love peace, and pursue it." Don't just love, but pursue peace - because peace must be pursued, not idly waited for.