Last Night's Frontline, on PBS, gave a behind-the-scenes view of the famous Middle East Peace Process from Oslo through Camp David.

I really find this obsession with getting an agreement at all costs kind of stupid. We should have learned long ago that Arafat is a terrorist revolutionary in his bones. He doesn't know anything else. If he had to govern without an enemy, he wouldn't know what to do. That's why whenever peace gets too close, he finds an excuse to reject it. Of course, it's possible that we just don't understand the "culture" of these people well enough, but they seem to understand ours very well and know exactly how to manipulate our desire to end the violence, and string us along with new hopes, from which they get more money, promises and support from Arab states.

That's why Bush's speech on what it will take to get a Palestinian state is so welcome. It says clearly what we expect. Now, if he can only show the gumption to refrain from more "peace" talks until the Palestinians start to show some interest in democracy and their own state instead of campaigning on the promise of destroying Israel. If they had any sense, they'd expel all the Hamas, Hezbollah, Islamic Jihad, and other terrorists from their territory and try to live in peace. Then they would have the West on their side in putting an end to the Israeli settlements.

I don't think they will do anything sensible, however. I think that the area is doomed to continued warfare and terrorist violence for the foreseeable future. I don't know what the Israelis can do differently. Maybe just ignore the suicide bombings, since the terrorists seem to want more incursions to show how great the military imbalance is between them and the Palestinians. But being weak, doesn't excuse anybody from being vicious and stupid. Eventually, the Israelis will figure out a way to block the bombers from getting through the borders, which will also hurt the Palestinian economy further and increase their misery. But they'll have no one to blame but themselves.