Palestinian leaders have dug themselves into  a deep hole by insisting on major Israeli concessions as pre-conditions for resumption of peace negotiations.  They demand a freeze on Jewish construction in East Jerusalem and the West Bank, plus Israeli agreement to return to the 1967 lines, as their price for restarting peace talks.   Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, in turn, has insisted all along on going back to negotiations without any pre-conditions.  His position now has been effectively endorsed by the Quartet of international mediators -- the U.S., the EU, Russia and the UN -- who also are calling for early talks without pre-conditions.   Tony Blair, who has bent over backwards to get the Palestinians ready for statehood, is the Quartet's Mideast envoy.  So, feeling isolated and looking for a way to lash out at the Quartet for siding with Israel on negotiating terms, the Palestinians have launched an all-out campaign to...(Read Full Post)