Wouldn’t it be nice if the players in the Middle East politics didn’t perform true to type? The events in the Palestinian city of Jericho show that’s a pretty far-fetched thought, so the conflict continues its run fueled by Britain and America.

Hamas militants should not have provoked Israel with freeing Ahmed Saadat, the head of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, who is being held in the killing of Rehavam Zeevi, the Israeli tourism minister, in 2001. The Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, should have thought hard before offering support. The acting Israeli PM, Ehud Olmert, should not have allowed the desire of doing some muscle-flexing to push into storming the Jericho prison with tanks.

Britain and the US are to blame for withdrawing prison monitors. The question is why the US and Britain waited until now to withdraw the monitors. This is an extremely tense time in both Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories, with Hamas working to form a cabinet after its election win and Israel heading for polls on March 28.

Olmert may have secured a few security points in his battle with Benjamin Netanyahu over who will succeed Ariel Sharon. But it’s a sure bet that even if his prison raid helps Olmert, it will make the job of governing and restoring peace even harder after polls. — The New York Times