The Palestinian Photo Op

Right now, Israel is in the process of turning over 255 Palestinians to the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank. Plenty of photos will be coming in showing Palestinians cheering the release of these people from prison. Many of them are Palestinian terrorists who conspired to kill Israelis. It's a photo op designed to help Abbas.

Israel released them on condition they sign pieces of paper that they wouldn't attack Israel again. The hope is that this will help boslter Abbas in his fight against Hamas. The hope is that these 255 aren't going to revert to their prior intentions - plotting to murder Israelis at any opportunity.

Abbas says that this is just the beginning. No kidding. It's not going to end well for Israel because many of those still in Israeli jails are terrorists with Israeli blood on their hands. As it is, among those released were Hamas and Islamic Jihad members.

How exactly does this improve Israel's security posture? How does this improve the chances of securing the release of Gilad Shalit or Goldwasser and Regev? If anything, this prisoner release makes it more difficult. What is Israel getting in return for these prisoner releases? Pieces of paper saying that they wont engage in terrorism? What good is that if they're able to rejoin the fight and the organizations to which they belong are unrepentant in their desire to destroy Israel?

UPDATE:
Another rocket hit Sderot. One person was treated for shock. Hamastan resident fired mortars at the border fence, but no injuries were reported. Other reports indicate that mortars landed in the Negev.

UPDATE:
It would seem that Israelis aren't happy with Olmert's decision to release terrorists today. There's also more detail about the prisoner release and other conditions that are frankly quite disturbing:

Among the 255 is Abdel Rahim Mallouh, who was Deputy Secretary General of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP). Mallouh's PFLP terrorists were behind the assassination of Tourism Minister Rehavam Ze'evi, the suicide bombing in a pizzeria in Karnei Shomron, murdering two teenagers, and more. Mallouh, a personal friend of Abbas, was sentenced to seven years in prison, and was scheduled to be released two years from now.

In another Olmert gesture to Abu Mazen, 178 wanted Fatah terrorists have been taken off of Israel's wanted list for the coming three months, unless they are found to be actively engaging in terrorism. If they succeed in acting peacefully for the next three months, their names will then be taken off the wanted list permanently.

If terrorists decide to hold off engaging in terrorism for three months, their names are removed from a terrorist wanted list. Nice. It's almost as though they get their records expunged. I fully expect to see these terrorists back in Israeli jails before long after engaging in terrorism before long. It's in their blood.