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Palestinian-Style Silence of the Lambs
(Washington Times) Avi Dichter - Amid preparations for statehood, Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Salam Fayyad remain inexplicably silent regarding the brutal terrorist attack by Hamas' militia against Israel on Aug. 18, which claimed eight lives. This tongue-biting from the PA's top guns should concern world leaders, specifically United Nations members set to vote on the resolution for a Palestinian state next month. While the PA-Hamas schism exonerates Mr. Abbas of culpability in executing terrorism, it sheds further light on the PA's power void in Gaza, casting tremendous doubts on the possibility of a united Palestinian state. If Palestinians expect the U.N. to vote in favor of a new state, how can that state be divided, with moderates leading in the West Bank and terrorists ruling in Gaza? Egypt also must be held accountable for the attack on Aug. 18. Though Egyptians turning a blind eye toward securing the Sinai Peninsula is nothing new, terrorists' ability to smuggle arms and terrorists in that region has tremendously increased since former President Mubarak's ouster. Officials in Egypt must completely crack down on smuggling in the Sinai. Avi Dichter is a member of the Israeli Knesset and a former Shin Bet director.