The latest act in the Palestinian puppet show has top spokesliar Saeb Erekat resigning. Bravo! Who could have foreseen this astonishing plot twist?

Well, actually, he’s resigned before and mysteriously reappeared, but never mind that. This time it’s for real, and it shows that Abu Mazen is really making a break with the Arafish!

The Associated Press, impervious to irony, calls Erekat a peace negotiator.

JERUSALEM - A top Palestinian negotiator has submitted his resignation after being excluded from an Israeli-Palestinian summit this weekend, the first since 2000.

Saeb Erekat’s decision to step down appeared largely linked to personal rivalries, rather than differences over policy, but could also be a sign of growing tensions between Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and his new prime minister.

Erekat, who has no power base of his own, is close to Arafat, and was only reluctantly included in the new Cabinet of Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas, as minister for negotiations.