Jackson Diehl has a very revealing piece in today's Washington Post, demonstrating the utter irresponsibility of Abbas, his government, and, as follows logically, his people. 'Suzy of Jerusalem' emails:

It is amazing when you read it. Abbas wants more than everything, and figures all is well as long as he just hangs around and collects his welfare payments. There has always been denial among the Arafat apologists as to just what he was offered at Camp David, but Abbas has, indeed, admitted that he was offered more than that still and yet it wasn't good enough.

And why should he accept? His own people hold him responsible for nothing but upholding their "honor" through tough talk and distributing the graft properly (hence Salam Fayyad's place as one of the most unpopular people in the PA). Every time you read about a domestic critic, it's some member of yet another "revolutionary" party like the PFLP or Hamas. It doesn't matter who's talking -- Fatah, Hamas, PFLP, etc., etc.. -- none of them are about governing, statesmanship or doing any building-up. So what's this "state" business all about? There is no such thing because the Palestinians themselves aren't interested in it. Their deeds, their culture, and the leaders they select demonstrate it over and over again.

Here's the article: Abbas's Waiting Game