Polar Opposites

When is one thing not like the other and yet diplomats, pundits, and media outlets think that the results will be different? When the subject is Israel.

Item 1:
Olmert, Rice, and Abbas to meet ahead of yet another summit on Israel-Palestinian peace process. Funny, but it isn't much of a process unless the Palestinians begin to accept the reality that Israel isn't going away. Israel exists. Deal with that and stop with the incitement to violence.

Item 2:
Hamas' Mashaal says that Israel will "disappear." Hamas is part of the Palestinian Authority and refuses to recognize Israel's right to exist. They seek to destroy Israel, have the blessing of Iran, and continue to agitate towards Israel's destruction, even if it means that foreign aid isn't quite so forthcoming. Hamas is hoping that Iran will pick up the tab that the West refuses to do. Iran expects to see gains from this relationship, so expect the rocket fire and other attacks to intensify.

The rocket attacks will continue, and Hamas has not changed its tune since the Mecca meeting. It is interesting that in his meeting with Mashaal that Ahmadinejad is leaning on him to stop the internal violence between Fatah and Hamas. That violence is getting in the way of the larger mission - to destroy Israel. Priorities.