From one corner of his mouth, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu today told Palestinian Authority President Abbas that he was at the peace talks “to find an historic compromise that will enable both peoples to live in peace, security and dignity.” and called Abbas, “my partner in peace.”

From the other, he told Secretary of Defense Clinton last night that there was absolutely “no change to the cabinet decision to end the (partial construction freeze) at the end of September 2010. It is impossible to take the issue of settlements in the West Bank, which is an issue for the permanent agreement, and deal with it separately at the beginning of the direct talks.”

When Abbas spoke, he repeated his unmovable position that continuing the freeze was essential for the talks to begin.

When Hamas spoke, it was not in Washington, but on the streets of the West Bank, where there was gun violence for the second night in a row. (more…)