(Institute for Contemporary Affairs-Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs) Lt. Col. (ret.) Jonathan D. Halevi - On Sept. 30, Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas gave a speech to the UN General Assembly in which he outlined the unilateral steps he intends to take to achieve Palestinian sovereignty in the territories and east Jerusalem without reaching a peace agreement with Israel. Abbas' speech revealed his basic stance, which includes unequivocal support for terror, a racist attitude toward the Jewish people, an entrenched hatred for Israel, and a will to destroy it. "Palestine is the land of holiness and peace, the birthplace of Jesus the emissary of love and the place of Muhammad's ascent to heaven," Abbas said. He pointedly refrained from mentioning that the land is also holy to the Jewish people whose history has been entwined with it for millennia. Abbas stated that "Israeli governments have passed...orders to fire live bullets and to arrest and abuse peaceful Palestinian demonstrators." "Peaceful" is how he portrays hurling rocks at passing Israeli vehicles, throwing firebombs at Jews' houses, stabbing Jewish civilians, or running them over with vehicles. Abbas did not express sorrow or regret over the mounting Palestinian terror against Jews. He did not protest the repressive rule and terror of Hamas in Palestinian Gaza, nor Hamas' aim of violently overthrowing his regime in the West Bank. Nor did he mention that it is only Israel's presence in the main parts of the West Bank that keeps his government in existence. The writer is a senior researcher at the Jerusalem Center.
2015-10-08 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive