Al-Jazeera yesterday reported that the Obama administration supports Egypt’s vision for a Middle East peace plan that would include a complete halt of construction in West Bank settlements and the release of senior palestinian officials from Israeli prisons.

In other words, goodwill gestures on the part of Israel.

Did I mention the peace plan vision is based on understandings that a palestinian state will be established in the 1967 borders?

In other words, despite doing little against terrorism (and in fact supporting it and threatening to launch a third intifada), continuing to incite against Jews and Israel, and rejecting previous Israeli offers, the palestinians find themselves in a better negotiating position than they ever did.

I guess terrorism really does pay.

Updates (Israel time; most recent at top)

10:52PM: The IAF has unveiled the new Shoval UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) system.

10:45PM: Israeli Arab MK Ahmed Tibi:

“IDF dogs are trained to pounce and attack any Arab who shouts Allah Hu Akbar, as a Pavlovian reaction. So here I say: Allah Hu Akbar. Are there any dogs here to attack me?”

The answer was (unfortunately) no.

Maybe next time.

5:38PM: This looks eerily familiar.

Palestinian heil - AP

Palestinians students from the Arab American University salute as they participate in a celebration marking the 45th anniversary of the founding of Fatah movement, near the West Bank town of Jenin, Monday, Jan. 4, 2010. (AP Photo/Mohammed Ballas)

3:50PM: Arab MK Talab al-Sana (United Arab List-Ta?al) today called Jewish residents of Judea and Samaria a “malignant tumor”, prompting this response from Committee chairman MK David Rotem (Yisrael Beiteinu):

“If the settlers are a malignant tumor in the Palestinian nation’s body, I hope the tumor spreads and the nation dies.”

Touche. Meanwhile, here’s my response:

12:52PM: Photo of the day:

Palestinian security -Reuters

A member of the Palestinian Security forces takes part in a rally marking the anniversary of the founding of the Fatah movement, in the West Bank city of Hebron January 3, 2010. REUTERS/Ammar Awad

The palestinian security forces were deployed in Hebron in 2008 partly to “focus on reclaiming law and order.” And judging by the way the officer is waving his gun around a crowd of people and shooting it in the air, while himself participating in the rally, I call FAIL.

By the way, these security forces were trained in Jordan under the supervision of Keith Dayton, the US security coordinator in the region, with the weapons also provided by the US. If I were an American taxpayer, I’d certainly want to be aware of that.

12:38PM: Egyptian sources have told the Cairo-based daily Al-Ahram that the Obama administration will put forth a plan whereby Israel commits itself to the establishment of a palestinian state within two years of the launch of peace talks with the PA.

A spokesperson for the Egyptian Foreign Ministry told the Egyptian Al Ahram newspaper that according to the plan, both sides are to exchange formal letters dealing with mutual guarantees.

The principles behind the White House initiative reportedly include an immediate resumption of talks between the Palestinians and the Israelis with the defined goal of reaching a final status arrangement within two years.

The first issue to be addressed will be that of permanent borders, according to the report. The target date established by US President Barack Obama to reach a compromise on the border issue is nine months, before the end of the settlement construction moratorium in Judea and Samaria.

According to the plan, immediately following the demarcation of defined borders, negotiations will shift to more complex issues ranging from the future of Jerusalem to the status of Palestinian refugees.

Obama expects a formal exchange of guarantees between the Israelis and Palestinians. In conjunction, it is believed by the White House that members of the Arab League will come out in support of this phase of the proceedings, in order to help the Palestinian Authority leader raise his stature among the Palestinian public.

6:12AM: Despite claiming that the people of Gaza are living in poverty, Hamas apparently have the budget to produce animated films about PA collusion with stereotypical blood-drinking Jews.

Did I mention that Hamas also claims it is not anti-Semitic?

More here.

6:10AM: Can you spot the curiosity with this photo?

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