Pre-mature reports had Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade announcing they had agreed to a three-month cessation of attacks, or a "hudna”, against Israelis. For the ‘Road Map To Peace’ this would have come as welcome news but the simple fact is these would still have been the commitments of terrorists.

Time and time again the world community has heard the promises of peace come from the Palestinian Authority. Many times these promises came from Yasser Arafat, their leader. But as the world community, the Israelis, and the Palestinians themselves, began to embrace the possibility of a peaceful coexistence in the land where Jesus Christ was born the inevitable discharge of a mindless fanatic blowing himself up in the name of Allah rings out through the night air. This is countered by a missile attack in Gaza or elsewhere. The never-ending ring of violence continues and the murdering of innocents brings everyone back to reality leaving only the faint echoes of false promises.

It only takes one splinter faction from one of these terror groups, perhaps even just one man or woman who is upset that their leadership would cease the struggle against their "eternal enemy” to make these words ring hollow. We saw it with the assassination of Anwar Sadat and we see it today as newly appointed Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas condemns the acts of terrorism perpetrated by groups who do so in the name of Palestine. Abbas condemns and Hamas reloads. Abbas calls for a crackdown and Islamic Jihad blows up a disco. The world protests for peace and al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade plans another suicide bombing.

It is not exclusive to the Palestinians either; we see it on both sides. We saw it with the assassination of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzchak Rabin. Make no mistake, there are fanatics on both sides but clearly the most lethal and the most violent are the militant factions of the Palestinian Authority.

If the world sees another suicide bombing after an agreed cessation of hostilities is supposed to begin what are we to think? When the masked spokesmen for Hamas, Islamic Jihad and al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade make their official statements saying that they had nothing to do with the decimation of human life that these attacks bring how are we supposed to believe them at their word? How are we supposed to believe that they are abiding by their word if and when terror strikes again? They have committed to cessation of hostilities in the past only for us to see in hindsight that it was a planned period of cessation for the purpose of reorganization and effectively for "reloading”.

The only way to make this work is for both sides, and all the bizarre little militant factions under the cloak of the Palestinian authority, to commit themselves to the total cessation of hostilities, now, tomorrow and forever. Both the Israelis and the Palestinians have to completely shun the idea of terrorism and conflict against one another. They have to classify those who would use the tactic as enemies of mankind and actually eliminate them from the face of the earth, together, in partnership. Then and only then will peace have a chance between these two peoples. Then and only then should the world take the Palestinians and their terrorist minions at their word. Until then, if I were living in the conflicted area I would be sleeping with one eye open and my ear to the wind.

Frank Salvato is a political media consultant and the managing editor for The New Media Journal.us. He is a contributing writer for The Washington Dispatch, GOPUSA, OpinionEditorials, Men’s News Daily, Canada Free Press & AmericanDaily. His pieces are regularly featured in Townhall.com. He has appeared as a guest on The O’Reilly Factor, The Kevin Matthews Radio Show (Chicago) and The Brad Messer Radio Show (San Antonio). His pieces have been recognized by the Japan Center for Conflict Prevention and are occasionally featured in The Washington Times and The London Morning Paper as well as other national and international publications.