With the passing of Israel’s legendary Shimon Peres, an unusually high number of accolades is streaming into the Jewish state. Even President Obama ordered flags lowered to half-mast at federal buildings in the U.S. Montages of Peres meeting world leaders play on social media.

Peres, 93, served Israel in a variety of capacities, and his spearheading of the Olso Accords has invited both criticisms and bouquets. Once known more as a hawk (Peres was defense minister at the time of the Entebbe rescue), the urbane politician had moved to the left in the previous decades, being part of both the Labor and Kadima parties.
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Even his critics are largely silent for a few days, out of respect.

Not so the Palestinians. Hamas has called for a “Day of Rage” during Peres’ funeral. Meanwhile, the rival to Hamas, the Palestinian Authority, is silent.

An honest person will admit that the Palestinians, for a quarter-century, have squandered opportunities by the bushel-full. The leadership owes its wealth to the Peres Crowd, which worked tirelessly to prop-up a failing PLO and Yasser Arafat in 1990.

The Palestinian snub of Shimon Peres is one more reminder that the Palestinians are nowhere near ready for a state. The PLO/PA is a primitive, crude entity mired in seventh-century dogma.

It will be a cold day in Gaza before they’re ready for Palestine.

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