They could start by giving up their hatred

When the Palestinian Authority makes a demand prior to negotiations, it assumes that its demands must be met without any negotiations

This applies to those demands that are insisted on as confidence-building measures, Actually honoring them means they have already been agreed to – a back-door method of achieving something without discussion. Then the Palestinians are free to say, “What have you done for me lately?”

As to confidence-building, the evacuation from Gaza is a recent major measure intended for that purpose. The evacuation was painful, but instead of confidence it produced missile attacks from Gaza itself.

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More difficult to understand is the repetitive attempts by U.S. administrations to pressure Israel to accommodate these demands. Usually the result is to elicit new demands.

Perhaps there should be a better balance by pressuring the Palestinians to give up something as well. They could start with giving up their hatred – endlessly expressed in extreme rhetoric. Its content is destructive of confidence and implies a future to be feared.