Abbas’ ‘Dangerous Grandstanding’ Nailed by Washington Post

The Washington Post criticized Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas for the tactics editorial (“Dangerous grandstanding”, Sept. 30, 2014) displayed in his United Nations address.

“…Mr. Abbas delivered a bridge-burning speech to the U.N. General Assembly … mendaciously accusing Israel of ‘a new war of genocide’ and declaring that a return to negotiations was ‘impossible.’ ”

Impossible is what Abbas seemed to be making of any potential peace agreement with Israel. His accusations and distortions echoed the rhetoric sometimes employed by his predecessor, Palestinian Liberation Organization Chairman Yasser Arafat. Arafat, of course, rejected two-state proposals made by U.S. President Bill Clinton and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barack in 2000 and 2001, resorting instead to the terrorism of the second intifada. Of Abbas, The Post editorial noted:

“…he has now rejected platforms for a settlement on two occasions from two U.S. presidents [George W. Bush and Barack Obama]. He persists in grandstanding gestures that he must know will only delay the serious negotiations that must precede the creation of a Palestinian state …”

The Post lamented Abbas’ rejection of Palestinian-Israeli negotiations as the path to a two-state peace agreement and his intention to have Israel investigated for alleged war crimes by the International Criminal Court.

Other commentary in addition to The Washington Post’s took note of Abbas’ bridge-burning. Dror Eydar in Israel Hayom, quoted Abbas, noting that “toward the end of his speech, this so-called moderate partner asserted that what had caused terrorism in our region was — get ready — international leniency toward Israel. He then discussed the Islamic State group [also known as the Islamic State in the Levant or the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria], saying: ‘Confronting the terrorism that plagues our region by groups such as ISIL and others that have no basis whatsoever in the tolerant Islamic religion or with humanity and are committing brutal and heinous atrocities requires much more than military confrontation. … It requires, in this context and as a priority, bringing an end to the Israeli occupation of our country, which constitutes in its practices and perpetuation, an abhorrent form of state terrorism and a breeding ground for incitement, tension, and hatred’ ” (“Abbas incites and we’re to blame?”, Sept. 29, 2014)

Eydar concluded Abbas “juxtaposed the Islamic State with a much more loathsome entity — the State of Israel, which, according to the moderate partner, is a ‘terrorist state’ and a ‘breeding ground for incitement, tension, and hatred,’ and is actually more dangerous than the beheading Islamists. This sentiment is present throughout the entire speech.”

Too often news and commentary of Abbas and his Fatah movement describe them as “relative moderates” compared to Hamas. This may be accurate as far as it goes, but as the propaganda and incitement of Abbas’ General Assembly speech indicate, it doesn’t go far enough. Kudos to The Washington Post and Israel Hayom for pointing that out to readers. by Ziv Kaufman.