Strategic peace initiatives

Everybody is surprised that Olmert made a 180 degree turn and is suddenly sounding like a peacenik.  No surprise.  Whenever there is even the slightest danger that the United States will insist on a peace agreement with the Palestinians, Israel talks up a strategic peace position, making vague promises of what it is going to offer the Palestinians.  As soon as the ‘existential threat’ to Israel has passed – for, as we all know, the real ‘existential threat’ to Israel is a peace deal which would stop it from stealing land – the IDF will continue its war crimes.