The Palestinian Liberation Organization Wednesday rejected Secretary of State Jim Baker’s suggestion that the group stop its uprising in Israeli territories in pursuit of peace. Then, miraculously, PLO Executive Committee member Yasser Abed-Rabbo announced after meeting with American officials that his organization might take up peace talks with the Israeli government.

Might.

This “no peace now, but maybe in the future” talk from both the PLO and Israel is quickly becoming tiresome. Each country declares it desires peace. Each country says it welcomes some arbitration from outside powers in pursuing peace. But neither country will make the slightest move toward any real peace progress.

The most recent PLO decision against making the first moves toward peace is the latest example of the PLO shooting itself collectively in the foot. When PLO leader Yasser Arafat embarked on his support-seeking tour in December, he assured the world he would do what he could to suppress terrorist actions by his group in the future, but that he couldn’t guarantee cooperation from every PLO faction. That was a vast understatement.

Since December, the PLO has undertaken nearly a dozen cross-border attacks on Israel. And there has been little evidence of Arafat’s intervention in the continuance of Palestinian terrorism.

Now, Israel itself is far from being labeled a country of peacemakers at this time. Neither Middle East player—the PLO and Israel—should display surprise if arbitrators leave their region in disgust at the lack of any cooperation.