Israel-Palestine: let's get this straight

In the past two months, the Holy Land has seen a number of new developments, that have the potential of being hisorically determinant for the future of the people in Israel-Palestine. Rais Yasser Arafat passed away, and the Lanou Party has entered the government in Israel. Finally, Mahmoud "Abu Mazen" Abbas has been democratically elected President of the Palestinian Authority. This is more change than has been seen in a very long time. And in a ironic twist, this week, there was somewhat of a deadlock between the two parties, with Israel increasing its "anti-terrorist" operations, while the PLO of Mahmoud Abbas was is calling for a bi-lateral cessation of hostilities.

The Holy Land has seen worse. They will find a way, one day. For now however, I wanted to address the response a fellow blogger gave to the new turn of events.
In "Today's forecast in Hell: freezing temperatures", the author of The People's Republic of Seabrook

IF Abbas can succeed in persuading some of the more radical Palestinian factions that it is in their best interests to agree to a cessation of hostilies, THEN Israel will have something to think about. It’s hard to blame Ariel Sharon for wanting to see what action comes behind the words. Until Israelis can be convinced that Palestinians are serious about peace, there really is no recourse but for the government and the army to pursue terrorists with every resource at their disposal.

It would be nice to be able to think the Palestinians mean business this time. Unfortunately, there are still Palestinian radicals out there who believe the only good Israeli is a dead one. Until these nutcases can be marginalized, controlled, and- if necessary- eliminated, nothing will change.

If Palestinians want to have any hope of being treated as equal partners, they’re going to have to make certain their own house is in order before they have the right to expect anything from Israel.

I definitely agree, Palestine has to do some efforts in putting some order in its house. However, I am quite sick and tired of the Palestinians being expected to ALWAYS be the ones making concessions. They owned the whole damn - I am sorry Holy - place not even 100 years ago!!

Let's be realistic here. What would a redneck Hoosier say if he was told that part of Indiana was going to be retroceded to the Miami Indians (in compensation for the injustices they were submitted to by the European colonizers), and his ancestral house where he lives happens to be on the Miami side, and he has to give it up? "Over my dead body" he would say!! Why do we expect any lesser reaction from the Palestinians? I am sure the Miami Indians believed also that their land was a gift from their Creator. Should we return all America to them too? My favorite quote about Israel comes from Bill Mahr (Politically Incorrect), when he said to a Palestinian student: "Look at this map. There is a whole sea of Arabs, and just one tiny little bit of the Land that the Jews own. Since you hold the virtue of Arab brotherhood so high, why don't you just go live in Syria, Lebannon, Egypt and Jordan, and let the Jews have some peace". Now, I wonder what that redneck would say if he was told to go to Michigan, and Ohio, because there are his fellow white men who would take care of him...

Now, there is no question that, the present day situation being what it is, and Israel having born already 3 or 4 generations in that land, there must be concessions, and compromise... but from BOTH sides! As long as Israel is going to succeed in being blindly supported by the USA, the average Palestinian will never see a leveled playing field, and therefore the likelihood of militancy and freedom-fighting, as well as terrorism, decreasing seems quite bleak.