The crybabies are caterwauling again in the Middle East: Arabs Say U.S. Destroys Hope Over Jewish Settlements. (Hat tip: zulubaby.)

RAMALLAH, West Bank (Reuters) - Palestinians, backed by the Arab League, accused the United States on Sunday of destroying the Middle East peace process after Washington signaled it could accept some growth of Israeli settlements.

Until now, the United States had demanded a freeze on building all Jewish settlements on land occupied in the 1967 Middle East war. The communities are seen as illegal by most of the world, though Israel disputes this.

But the Bush administration signaled flexibility on Saturday on some limited growth in West Bank settlements to help embattled Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon as he tries to get a plan for withdrawal from occupied Gaza past his far right.

“I do not believe that America says now that settlements can be expanded. This thwarts and destroys the peace process,” Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qurie told reporters.

Palestinians, who fear uprooting the Gaza settlers is a cover for strengthening Israel’s hold on bigger West Bank enclaves, said the United States was tearing up its own peace “road map” — a blueprint for a Palestinian state that has been stalled by violence. [Yes … Arab violence. —ed.]

The sheer gall of these people really is amazing. I suppose it would be rude to point out that the Palestinians never complied with one single requirement of the so-called “road map.”

And it would probably be even ruder to point out that only the Arabs are still digging up the dead-and-buried “road map.”