Olmert to concede to Hamas

Once again, Ehud Olmert is ready to accept Hamas surrender terms. The only difference this time is that he’s trying to force the issue by finally—two years after his capture—demanding the freedom of Gilad Shalit.

Egyptian intelligence chief Omar Suleiman has warned deputy Hamas politburo chief Moussa Abu Marzouk that if kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit is not released Israel will launch a major offensive in Gaza, the Lebanese newspaper al-Akhbar reported Saturday, quoting Palestinian sources.

According to the sources, Suleiman said that the Israel Defense Forces would carry out severe attacks against the Hamas movement and the other Palestinian factions in the Strip, should they refuse to sign a prisoner exchange agreement, which would include the release of the abducted Israeli serviceman.

The only reason I’m not too worried about this deal is that I know Hamas is going to demand the release of far too many murderers.

The newspaper also reported that Hamas is inclined to relax its conditions in order to complete the deal, but objects to the prisoner lists submitted by Israel.

Olmert knows that his government will fall if too many things happen at once. Oh, sure, it can take a corruption scandal or three, and the regular rocketing of southern Israeli towns. It can take a terror attack on Nahal Oz and still continue to pump fuel into Gaza. But it won’t be able to take all of them at once. At least, I hope not, because it does seem like the Israeli public doesn’t give a damn that its leader had made Israel appear weaker now than at any time since Israel’s inception. The sharks are circling, and they smell blood.

“The Palestinians and the Arabs have crushed the Jews’ assumption of supremacy… The Zionist legend of invincibility has been destroyed.

“Now more than ever I tell you – will never recognize Israel… We will form the Palestinian state on all of Palestine’s territories and the sun of liberty will burn the Zionists. To them I say – you will lose. You will leave and we will keep hounding you. The blood of our slain sons will haunt you forever,” he said.

That’s Mahmoud al-Zahar, the supposed peace partner that Jimmy Carter says Israel should talk to. To find out his “opinions.” I think they’re rather evident.

But again, this is why I think the “lull” deal will fail:

Hamas spokesman Aliman Taha said that his movement was “not interested in holding on to Shalit forever.” He added, “If Israel accepts the resistance’s demands, we will release him immediately.”

Meanwhile, a spokesman for the Popular Resistance Committees, one of the factions behind Shalit’s abduction, said that his group was “ready to tie the lull issue to the Shalit deal,” but only if Israel accepts the factions’ demands, particularly the release of the prisoners whose names appear on the list submitted by the organization.

The terrorists have always been their own worst enemies. May they stay that way forever.