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By Ira Sharkansky
 JERUSALEM—Fatah's convention continues to be the best show in town.
Not exactly in town. Bethlehem is just outside the southern end of Jerusalem. There is a wall between here and there, and the guards will not let me through the gate.
As the convention reaches its close, there is no evidence that the delegates are tiring. They have passed a resolution demanding that all of Jerusalem be absorbed into Palestine, and confirming the rights of refugees to return.
One group of Israel's optimists have fastened on the lack of "to where" in the demand for the return of refugees. Maybe they will accept their return to a Palestine on the other side of the pre-1967 borders.
Another group of Israel's optimists are concluding that the convention is giving Israel just what it wants: a foolish list of demands for an organization that is so weak it lost Gaza to Hamas in a week of fighting, and would lose the West Bank if not protected by the IDF, the Shin Bet, and Israeli Intelligence. What better reason does Israel need to forget negotiations and send Obama's representatives in search of an easier accomplishment?
The prime minister chose this week's meeting of the government to describe the one-sided withdrawal from Gaza in 2005 as a failure that did not bring peace or security, but only a base for Iranian operations. His government will not repeat the mistake.
We would not be Israelis if we did not quarrel. The withdrawal from Gaza removed exposed settlements that extracted heavy costs in defense along with frequent attacks on civilians and soldiers. And it would not have been as easy to teach Hamas the lesson of January if there had been Jewish civilians in the way.
Nonetheless, it is wise to listen to the prime minister. The failure of the Gaza withdrawal to bring peace or security will weigh on the aspirations of Palestinians in the West Bank, as well as Americans who want peace now.
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Defense Minister Ehud Barak played the good cop at the government meeting, although he began with a condemnation. "The rhetoric coming from Fatah and the positions being expressed are grave and unacceptable to us."
He was conciliatory toward the United States, if not the Palestinians, when he added, "it must be understood that there is no solution in the Middle East other than a comprehensive [peace] deal, which includes us and the Palestinians." He called on President Barack Obama to lead the way for peace in the region.
Perhaps he was addressing neither the United States nor the Palestinians, but the left wing of his own party. Four and maybe more of Labor's 13 Members of Knesset are threatening to abandon Barak and set up their own party.
He was not addressing me. I have been saying for some time that there is no solution for the Middle East. I will rely in Israel's coping skills until I am no longer able to notice.
Not to let Fatah take all the headlines, Hizbollah is warning Israel not to cause trouble in Lebanon. If Israel does cause trouble, Hizbollah will demonstrate that its victory in 2006 was only a taste of what can happen.
A rocket came from someone is Gaza to land in southern Israel.
The Deputy Foreign Minister (a retired diplomat doing more of the heavy lifting than Avigdor Lieberman), told a United Nations representative who came to complain about the property transfer in East Jerusalem that the Israeli government would not discuss Jerusalem with a foreign body, insofar as it was governed by Israeli law. The Deputy Foreign Minister told the same man that Israel would not ease the blockade on Gaza until Gilad Shalit comes home.
Some years ago I decided it was time to say Kaddish for the prospect of a Palestinian state.
Government ministers cannot afford to insult the United States with an outright No. The constraint does not apply to a retired professor with no political aspirations. So I will propose the same prayer for at least one plank of President Obama's foreign policy, and maybe others.
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