Palestinians never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity

After two days of talks with the Israeli and Palestinian leaders, President Bush said he believed both sides were prepared to make the compromises necessary for a lasting peace. Speaking in Jerusalem, Mr Bush called for an end to Israel's occupation of Palestinian land in the West Bank, which began in 1967.

For almost 60 years, every time the Palestinians were offered the possibility of a state side by side with Israel, they chose rejection and violence. In 1947 the United Nations offered them the first Palestinian state in history. They rejected the offer, made war and ended up with a vast Palestinian diaspora. There have been many opportunities for a Palestinian state since then. Abba Eban once said of the Palestinians, "They never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity".