The madness is going ahead, as Ehud Olmert issues another hallucinatory statement about “strengthening the moderates:” Israeli Cabinet OKs prisoner release.

JERUSALEM - The Israeli Cabinet on Sunday approved the release of 250 Palestinian prisoners, officials said, in the government’s latest gesture of support for moderate Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in his struggle against the Hamas militant group.

However, the officials said Israel had still not finalized the list of prisoners to be freed or the timing of the release. Palestinian officials said they were disappointed Israel was not coordinating the release with them.

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert agreed to the prisoner release at a June 25 summit with Abbas as part of Israel’s strategy of bolstering the Palestinian leader following Hamas’ takeover of the Gaza Strip last month.

Israel also has transferred more than $100 million in frozen tax funds to Abbas, and pledged to ease travel restrictions on Palestinians in the West Bank.

“We want to use every means that can strengthen the moderates within the Palestinian Authority, to encourage them to take the path that we believe can create conditions for the start of meaningful discussions,” Olmert said in a televised statement at the opening of the meeting.

At this point in history, after Oslo, after countless suicide bombings and murders perpetrated by the very people Olmert is lauding as “moderates,” there’s absolutely no excuse for this kind of delusional thinking. The inmates truly are running the asylum.