Is There ANYONE In The Palestinian Authority Who Is Serious About Peace?

“I don’t want my comment on the demilitarization of the uprising to be misunderstood … All I meant is that we are in a phase that does not necessitate arms because we want to negotiate” (Washington Times, December 15, 2004).

“I say to them [the terrorists], this is not the time for this kind of attack” (Washington Times, January 3, 2005).

“A crime against the Palestinian people” (New York Times, July 13, 2005).

“These attacks threaten our national security and undermine our credibility on the international arena” (Jerusalem Post, July 24, 2005).

“These events undermine the truce and calm we had respected” (Reuters, October 17, 2005).
Mahmoud Abbas, who never condemns terrorist attacks as a crime against the Israeli people

And Abbas continues to play games, as Joel Mowbray wrote in 2008:

Discussing the question of whether or not Hamas must recognize Israel, Mr. Abbas explained, I don't demand that the Hamas movement recognize Israel. I only demanded of the [Palestinian] national unity government that would work opposite Israel in recognition of it.

This comment raised eyebrows because it shifted the common understanding of what it means to recognize the Jewish state. Most understand recognition to be fairly straightforward: The acknowledgement of the right of Israel to exist peacefully as a Jewish state neighboring a Palestinian one. Mr. Abbas, however, now defines recognition as acknowledging in a literal sense that an entity named Israel is the country at the other end of the negotiating table.

Every time that Abbas says something that appears to imply recognition of Israel, the statement is either denied later or is simply never repeated in Arabic, when it counts.

On the other hand, what is being said in Arabic are the documented cases of the incitement of hatred against Israel.

But Abbas is not the only one who is not serious about peace. Palestinian Media Watch found that for the Palestinian leadership, Armed conflict is function its of profitability:

While the PA continues to reassure the international community that it is committed to non-violence, during the three months of the proximity talks the PA has repeatedly told its people in Arabic that armed conflict remains an option. Violent resistance is suspended only because it is not in the PA's present interests.

Some examples:

o Interview with Ahmad Qurei (Abu Alaa), former Palestinian Authority Prime Minister, head of the PLO's Jerusalem Department, on the conflict with Israel:

Qurei: "All the options are open, as I see it. Negotiations, political activity, popular activity and [armed] resistance - and we must continue with it."
Question: "Today, what is the [best] option, in your opinion?"
Qurei: "All of the above."
Question: "Including [armed] resistance?"
Qurei: "I see and analyze. And if it [resistance] gives me [benefit] without costing me, yes."
[Al Sharq Al-Awsaf (London),
reprinted in Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Aug. 5, 2010]

o Nabil Shaath, member of Palestinian Parliament, Fatah Commissioner of Foreign Relations and member of the Fatah Central Committee, says negotiations are "tactical" and "temporary"

"Dr. Nabil Shaath, Commissioner of International Relations and member of the Fatah Central Committee... stated that the decision to renew negotiations was a tactical decision, i.e., a temporary, defensive decision... and it is dependent upon the possibility of attaining tangible results for the Palestinians. He concluded: 'Even the resistance uses defensive tactics in order not to miss opportunities.'"
[Al-Dustur (Jordan), June 10, 2010]

o Editorials in the PA official daily: "Armed struggle is impossible now."

"I have no doubt that the occupation is destined to pass from the world... I also have no doubt that out of the options for the national struggle to be rid of the occupation, the popular struggle is the one that is needed, since the option of the armed struggle is impossible now."
[Al-Hayat Al-Jadida (Fatah), May 24, 2010]

Read the whole thing.

So while the West continues to push Israel to make more concessions as confidence-building measures to encourage Abbas to come to the negotiating table, perhaps the West could acknowledge what the Palestinian Authority is doing and saying.

The fact that admitting this openly might just kill the current peace process is itself a testimony to the uselessness of peace talks as the situation stands now.

Technorati Tag: Abbas and Palestinian Authority.