On October 22, 2015, Secretary of State John Kerry, in the context of Palestinian terrorist attacks against Israeli civilians and the Israeli response to them, spoke of the need to end the incitement to violence and to lower the level of tension so that calm could be restored in the area. Speaking to Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, he asserted that both Israel and the Palestinians are interested in bringing an end to escalation of violence. It is arguable whether Palestinian leaders are so interested.  German chancellor Angela Merkel, speaking on October 21, 2015, must have doubted the Palestinian interest when she said she expected Palestinian Authority head Mahmoud Abbas “to condemn everything that constitutes an act of terrorism.  One cannot open talks with Israel if this does not happen.”  So far, President Abbas has not done so in any serious fashion. This indeed will not happen if the Palestinian leaders not only remain unwilling or...(Read Full Article)