The Palestinian Authority has issued a pro forma “condemnation” of the Taba Hilton terrorist attack, but the Jerusalem Post’s Khaled Abu Toameh reports that on the streets of Ramallah, the mass murder in Taba filled hearts with joy: Palestinians blame Israel, US. (Hat tip: Barak M.)

In Ramallah, many Palestinians on Saturday expressed support for the attacks in Sinai, which they said, were a “natural response to Israel’s crimes in the Gaza Strip.”

“The Israelis deserve what happened to them,” said Bassam Abu Halaweh, a taxi driver. “In the last two weeks Israel killed about 100 Palestinians. It was clear that there would be some kind of retaliation.”

Maha Odeh, a secretary for a local law firm, said she was “delighted” when she heard about the bombings.

“I don’t know any Palestinian who is sad on a day like this,” she added. “We hope that Israel and the US, which is perpetrating daily massacres against the Iraqi people, will learn the lesson and stop the killings.”

In the nearby town of Bir Zeit, several shopkeepers blamed Prime Minister Ariel Sharon for the Sinai bombings. “Sharon is responsible for the bloodshed because of what he’s doing in the Gaza Strip,” said Hassan Khalil, who works in a grocery.

Fayez Ibrahim, a student at Bir Zeit University, said he and many of his colleagues were hoping that there would be more attacks like the ones in Sinai. “We want to see such attacks in the heart of Jerusalem and Tel Aviv,” he said.

Such lovely people. Let’s give them a state!