All parties involved in the powwow are positive. Heck, they didn’t go all the way down to DC for the barbecue ribs.

Bibi sent an inspiring message to the Israeli press after week 1:

“We will need to think creatively, and in new ways, about how to resolve complex problems…”

He was not talking about the education budget or the evaporating Dead Sea. He was also not talking about the bumper to bumper traffic during the morning commute between Highway 1 and Route 9 between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.

“…In order to reach practical solutions, we will need to think about new solutions to old problems…”

He then continued, failing to cite an actual objective.

“To succeed, we will need to study the lessons of the 17-year effort at negotiations and to embrace original thinking, to think outside the box…”

He was referring to the Oslo accords.

But the Prime Minister made it clear that he is:

“willing to achieve an historic compromise with our Palestinian neighbours so long as it maintains the national interests of the state of Israel with security first and foremost.”

Of course undermining Jewish nationhood would be disappointing for millions.

Amid threats by the Palestinians to end the negotiation process if the Jewish Country refuses to renew the West Bank building moratorium upon its September 26 expiration, Avigdor Lieberman assured that this will not and cannot be the case. During a special Rosh Hashanah toast, he also recalled the ineffectual Oslo conference and the ensuing tragedy of the Second Intifada.

“Do we have a real partner?” he pondered, “What if we sign with Abu Mazen [Abbas] and Hamas takes over?”

Why would the result of an exit from the West Bank be any different than the result of the Jewish exit from Gaza?

“We learned nothing from the Disengagement from Gush Katif…If we return to the 1967 territories, the demands from the Palestinian side will only increase.”

Meanwhile, Nabil Abu Rudaineh cursed Iranian leader Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for Mahmoud Abbas when he was quoted as saying:

…The one who does not represent the Iranian people, who falsified election results, who oppressed the Iranian people and stole authority has no right to speak about Palestine, its president or its representatives…

…President Mahmoud Abbas came to power through free, democratic and authentic elections supervised by more than 2,000 international and Arab monitors…We are the ones who fought for Palestine and Jerusalem…

…the Palestinian leadership did not oppress its people as did the Iranian leadership under Ahmadinejad….