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The elections may still be three weeks away, but that hasn’t stopped Acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert from agreeing to make yet more concessions to the Palestinians.

Avi Dichter, a former head of Israel’s General Security Service who is now running for the Knesset in Olmert’s Kadima party, confirmed media reports that Olmert is planning a major unilateral withdrawal from Judea and Samaria after the March balloting.

The retreat would include the uprooting of dozens of Jewish communities, and the forcible expulsion of tens of thousands of Jews from their homes.

Among the communities slated for destruction are Elon Moreh, Yitzhar, Itamar, Shilo, Psagot, Tekoa, Tapuah, P'nei Hever, Nokdim, Ma'on and Otniel.

The “logic” behind this move – if one can call it that – is that Olmert believes that Hamas will not talk with Israel, so he feels he must take unilateral steps to draw the country’s final borders.

In other words, Olmert is giving Hamas a choice: either negotiate with us or else we will have to give you even more territory from which to attack us. Take it or leave it.

Wow, he sure knows how to drive a hard bargain.

G-d help us all.