Olmert gave it all for free and Arab Israeli parties have managed to miss the boat once again

Yes, its official, once again Arab Israeli members of Knesset had a chance to help their public (either the Palestinian or the Arab Israeli, which ever one they think they represent); and once again they blew it.

Incoming Prime Minister Ehud Olmert had a very weak left wing coalition party to back him up should he go through with concessions to Palestinians in the West Bank. His only chance of getting a left leaning majority relied on the Arab parties, and they blew it.

They blew it because they had a chance to secure a place in the coalition and get things for the Arab Israeli public, while helping move toward a Palestinian state alongside Israel. Instead they chose to reinforce the negative image they already have in Israel as those who want the country destroyed (unlike their constituants) by meeting with Hamas; and now they are surprised why they are not trusted in the Knesset's most sensitive committee, security and foreign affairs.

Meanwhile Ehud Olmert had no choice but to go to the Ultra-orthodox parties and give it all to them for free. He gave them whatever budget he could in return for support of the coalition with no promise to support him if concessions to Plaestinians would have to be made - in short, everything for free.

That money should have gone to help the Arab minority of Israel, that money could have gone to them; but the Arab members of Knesset were too busy hating Israel once more to actually go and take it.

Everybody loses here, well everybody except two groups, the Ultra orthodox and the Arab members of parliament. The former got everything it wanted while the latter at least will get Knesset paychecks while leaving their publics out to dry. At least the Ultra-orthodox members of parliament have earned their salaries as far as it concerns their public.

And the state of Israel? it loses. It loses because once again the Arab minority is going to get less budgets (thanks to their elected representitives), causing unrest and it loses because the Ultra-orthodox have gotten a little bit more hold on how the country would be run.

What's more the Arab Israeli members of Parliament would also not get anything for their Palestinian "consituants": Even with the Ultra-Orthodox in the coalition, they are known as very unstable partners, a thing that will force Olmert to go to the Ultra right wing party Yisrael Beytenu under Avigdor Lieberman for support. This could not spell good news for Palestinians.

And so in conclusion, I return to the title of this article - that the Arab Israeli members of Knesset blew it. They could have supported a two state solution and show it while proclaiming that they are Israelis; instead they chose not to, at the unfortunate expense of their public who has already proclaimed it is Israeli while wanting to live side by side with a Palestinian state.