In a sign that Palestinians are eager for peace with Israel, today Palestinians expressed anger at the suicide bombing outside an Israeli nightclub.

Official condemnations and denials were followed by public anger toward the perpetrators as Israeli blamed Syria and the Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad, which claimed responsibility for the attack. The Palestinians pointed fingers at the Lebanese guerrilla group Hezbollah. Syria denied the allegations.

Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas convened his top security chiefs directly after the bombing and issued a strong statement pledging to track down and punish the culprits. The three main Palestinian militant groups — including Islamic Jihad — initially denied involvement. A branch of the Al Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades in the West Bank city of Nablus, even condemned the attack.

“We will not allow anyone to sabotage our national goals, aspirations and ambitions,” Abbas said Saturday in the West Bank town of Ramallah. “All Palestinian factions, including the prisoners, were outraged by this operation. I emphasize that there is another party that wants to sabotage the peace process.”

You simply have to be optimistic that there might eventually be a lasting peace, or relatively speaking, between Palestine and Israel after the reaction from Palestinians.