It might be a coincidence or hype from the Palestinian leadership. But a look at the narrative being weaved by the Palestinian leadership and one has no alternative but to think that the Americans and Europeans have joined the Israelis in trying to extract concessions from the Palestinians.

The latest source of this is the US security plan that includes a permanent Israeli military presence in the Jordan Valley for 10 years. Al-Ayyam daily, which is close to the Palestinian leadership, has said that the plan calls for Israeli soldiers to remain in the Jordan Valley for 10 years. Multiple media reports talked about a visible Israeli security presence in select locations along the Jordan River, with an invisible Israeli presence on the bridge connecting the east and west bank near the city of Jericho.

The latter sounds like the exact same situation that existed prior to the eruption of the intifada in October 2000. Shortly after clashes between Israeli and Palestinian police in different locations, the "invisible" Israelis kicked out the "visible" Palestinian police. The road map had called for Israel to allow the situation to be returned to the pre-October 2000 period, but Israel has refused until this very day the US-designed security plan that would have Palestinian police back on the King Hussein (Allenby) Bridge.

Palestinian officials have stated that the United States is "allowing" Israel not to make the third stage of prisoner release due to take place in the next month because of the Palestinian refusal to accept Gen. John Allen’s plan. The Palestinians argue the plan is not American, but a carbon copy of what Israeli security officials want. They say that the Americans have become mailmen for Israel delivering a plan that has the name of the United States on it but is nothing more than a cut-and-paste plan that Israel is comfortable with.