Abbas told reporters: “The Bush speech at the Knesset angered us . . . I frankly, clearly and transparently asked him that the American position should be balanced.”

This, too, has become conventional wisdom. The problem with it: If my goal is to kill your two children and your goal is to keep them alive, a balanced position — one midway between the two — would endorse the murder of one of your kids.

Such balance is relentlessly on view in the mainstream media. For example, to commemorate Israel’s 60th year of independence, the Washington Post ran a front page feature on two men, one Israeli, one Palestinian, both born 60 years ago “into a land at war.”

The story neglects to mention how that war began: The U.N. passed a resolution that established Israel and called for an Arab state as well. Jewish leaders agreed. Had Arab leaders done likewise, Palestinians also would be celebrating 60 years of statehood this month — and there would have been no war and no refugees.