They could start by giving up their hatred

When the Palestinian Authority makes a demand prior to negotiations, it assumes that its demands must be met without any negotiations

This applies to those demands that are insisted on as confidence-building measures, Actually honoring them means they have already been agreed to — a back-door method of achieving something without discussion. Then the Palestinians are free to say, “What have you done for me lately?”

As to confidence-building, the evacuation from Gaza is a recent major measure intended for that purpose. The evacuation was painful, but instead of confidence it produced missile attacks from Gaza itself.

More difficult to understand is the repetitive attempts by U.S. administrations to pressure Israel to accommodate these demands. Usually the result is to elicit new demands.

Perhaps there should be a better balance by pressuring the Palestinians to give up something as well. They could start with giving up their hatred — endlessly expressed in extreme rhetoric. Its content is destructive of confidence and implies a future to be feared.