WHAT A DANCE WE'RE ABOUT TO SEE – AT 10:16 A.M. ET:  After abusing and insulting the prime minister of Israel at the White House, President Obama has now invited the head of the Palestinian Authority to visit as well.  The PA leader, like a street gang, only controls parts of Palestinian lands, but apparently met some secret minimum standard.  From Fox:

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has accepted an invitation to visit the White House for a meeting with President Obama, senior Palestinian officials told Fox News.

The invitation was extended by Obama's Middle East envoy George Mitchell during a weekend visit to the region where he was trying to restart indirect peace talks between the Palestinians and Israelis. Mitchell is expected to return next week, signaling he is making progress.

The visits come amid rising tensions between Washington and Jerusalem. But the State Department reported that Mitchell had "positive and productive talks with Israeli and Palestinian leaders" during his three-day visit.

"His meetings continued our efforts to improve the atmosphere for peace and for proceeding with proximity talks," spokesman P.J. Crowley said in a written statement.

Abbas needs to decide whether to engage with Israel, with Mitchell as a go-between, even though Israel has rejected his demands to freeze new construction for Jews in east Jerusalem, the Palestinians' hoped-for capital.

A senior Palestinian official said Abbas was inclined to agree to the talks, in large part because of personal appeals in recent days from Obama, Mitchell and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

The Palestinians have low expectations of the U.S.-brokered talks, but also want to avoid offending Obama and do not want to be cast in the role of naysayers.

Ah, watch the body language when Abbas finally shows.  Will he be greeted with smiles or frowns?  Will he get the joint news conference denied to Netanyahu?  Will he be fed?  The Israeli leader wasn't.  Look, finger sandwiches would do.  Hashish better. 

In the last two weeks, the Obamans have been on a major fence-mending mission with the Israelis, apparently realizing that The One's rudeness backfired.  Also, it's an election year...and get this:

A national Quinnipiac University survey found that 44 percent of Americans disapprove of Obama’s handling of the Israeli-Palestinian issue, with 35% approving, the poll’s only foreign policy question with negative results.

This administration has been notoriously aloof to the opinions of Americans who don't have Ph.D.'s, but maybe a change is coming.

Can't wait for Abbas to arrive.  I'd love to see how these diplomatic geniuses in Washington handle it.

April 25, 2010