President Obama is latest in a long line of woolly thinkers who believe there is a “historic opportunity,” in his words, to achieve Mideast peace.

US Presidents like to start with Israel because they are reasonably sure that when the Israelis agree to a policy, implementation will follow. You don’t have that degree of certainty — or any degree for that matter — with your Palestinian negotiator.

By the same token, it’s easier to negotiate with Clarice Starling than it is Hannibal Lector; but getting Clarice to agree to stop eating the census taker won’t have an impact on the accuracy of the count unless Hannibal changes his diet, too.

Unilateral Israeli agreement to Mideast peace proposals does not result in peace. There have been two lasting peace treaties: one with Jordan and the other with Egypt. Both happened when King Hussein and President Anwar Sadat realized conflict was not in their best interest and both treaties involved bilateral, simultaneous agreement.

That should have proved conclusively that Mideast peace is only possible when both sides want peace and are willing to respect the agreement.

But it did not, because in the world’s eyes Israel is always collectively guilty for whatever woes Arabs inflict on themselves.

Palestinians bear no responsibility for their plight. To put it in TV terms, Palestinians are “The Fonz” to most of the world and you can’t expect “Fonzie” to act any different than he does.

It’s a given “The Fonz” is governed by raging hormones while the Palestinians are governed by raging madmen. The adults, i.e. Israel, are supposed to take up the slack.

It would be real progress if Obama realized the statements of Arab leaders regarding peace and Israel, particularly those of the Palestinian Authority and neighboring Arab states, have the same intrinsic credibility as Obama’s statements in support of traditional marriage.

Obama’s supporters don’t attack him for his statements supporting traditional marriage, because they know he doesn’t mean it. It’s just a throwaway line to pacify the Christians.

Ditto for Arab leaders and their statements on peace and any pledges to dismantle terrorist organizations. Back home “the Arab street” doesn’t erupt, because they know those statements are so much eyewash to keep the Crusaders happy.

State Department intellectuals cannot grasp a concept that is blindingly obvious to any Baptist: until the Palestinians are convinced that they cannot win by terror, they will not negotiate in good faith for peace.

The road map to peace in the Mideast needs to arrive at a rest stop and stay there until the Arab side decides the status quo is unacceptable and puts concrete actions under their quicksand words.

 Michael R. Shannon is a public relations and advertising consultant with corporate, government and political experience around the globe. He is a dynamic, entertaining and funny keynote speaker for corporate, non–profit and governmental organizations.