RICH IN IRONY. And other essential double standards. The Arab Press reports on Abbas' obvious disregard for diplomatic correctness:

President Mahmoud Abbas lashed out at Hamas yesterday, accusing them of trying to build an "empire of darkness" in Gaza and pledging he would not talk to "murderous terrorists."

As Andy McCarthy puts it

Priceless: Fatah's Abbas Won't Negotiate with "Murderous Terrorists" from Hamas

This is just too rich, from the Arab News. [Hat tip: Jihad Watch]

Has anyone broken this news to the State Department? To the Iraq Study Group? To Speaker Pelosi? Doesn't Abbas grasp the importance of engagement? After all, you don't make peace with your friends, you make it with your enemies, right? Gotta talk. This unilateralist cowboy "we won't negotiate" routine — well, it's just so knuckle-dragging backward. What will the International Community say?

Once again, Palestinian Arabs cannot be expected to play the game, so no one will even try to pull the same shtick with Abbas--he would only look at them as if they were crazy. Oh to be a "noble savage."

Or a leader with integrity.

Technorati Tag: Israel and Abbas and Hamas and Gaza.