<HTML> <HEAD> <TITLE>Re: [lbo-talk] Friedman's Shit</TITLE> </HEAD> <BODY> ; <BLOCKQUOTE>Mr. Middle East Expert tossed a rather ripe one today. After plowing through his typical condemnation of Palestinian moral failings (while keeping his criticism of Israel on tactical ground), Mr. Expert lets this one go: "In a Yediot Ahronot poll released Friday, two-thirds of Israelis were critical of Mr. Sharon's tactic of targeted assassinations of Hamas officials and said they wanted Mr. Abbas to be given a chance to establish his authority. "It may be that Mr. Abbas can't step up to this. It may be that the Palestinians are capable only of self-destructive revenge, rather than constructive restraint and reconciliation." Friedman is not far from the ramblings of the conservative favorite historian of the moment, Victor Davis Hanson: Meanwhile, the Palestinian street adopted a sort of nihilism that their own ongoing wretchedness was worth it if at least a modicum of the same misery might be imparted to the Jews. </BLOCKQUOTE>http://nationalreview.com/hanson/hanson061303.asp Jacob Segal </BODY> </HTML>