The news came last week that the United States would commence the transfer of some $150 million to the Palestinian Authority. This week, the European Commission announced that it, too, was turning on the cash spigot and releasing an astonishing €300 million — about $473 million.

Perhaps someone has a mischievous sense of humor. Today Haaretz reports that the American military officials responsible for monitoring compliance with the Road Map have made it known — you’re sitting down, aren’t you? — that the PA hasn’t really attempted to do anything about Palestinian terrorism:

[T]he Americans are concerned that the PA does not engage in the full spectrum of counterterrorism activities, including arrests, interrogation and trial, as it would if it were trying to eradicate the armed wings of Islamic terrorist organizations. Instead, it makes do with trying to “contain” terror — to prevent specific attacks, and to keep Hamas from growing strong enough to threaten Fatah’s rule in the West Bank.

The PA security services do occasionally arrest members of Islamic organizations, but they do not then follow up with the other steps in the “chain of prevention”: interrogations, arrests of additional operatives, indictments and trials. Trials generally take place only if the PA is under external pressure…And when they do take place, they are generally hasty affairs.

Well, maybe the influx of over half a billion dollars in foreign aid will help the PA finally get its security operation into better shape. I kid, I kid.