Israel Matzav

Selling illusions

Only yesterday Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) was still allowing the Palestinian Authority education systems to teach the children of Palestine to aspire to destroy the State of Israel. Only two days ago the chair of the PA preferred to make do with condemning acts of terror and murder, mainly because they do not further the "Palestinian cause," instead of fighting terror itself.

The "moderate partner," together with his colleagues in the PA leadership, is still a signatory to a treaty of understandings with Hamas, which states that "the right of the refugees to return to their homes and their property must be guaranteed."

The Cairo Declaration, which was signed together with Hamas, and which Abu Mazen has never abandoned, even states that the Palestinians have a right to use violence against Israel until that same right of return is realized. Not symbolic, as claimed by those who sell illusions, but practical: not to the Palestinian state in Gaza and in Nablus, but to Safed, Acre, Lod and Jaffa.

"It's all talk," the deceivers will say, but the rifles that Israel transferred in the past to the "good guys" spoke with fire and wounded and killed. Palestinian policemen, activists in Tanzim, members of the Fatah Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades and members of the presidential guard, Force 17, fought against Israel Defense Forces soldiers and carried out or helped carry out terror attacks.

The territories that were transferred to the control of the "moderates" have become incubators for terror, and some of the economic assistance has also found its way to terror organizations. The same will happen this time. It's only a matter of time. Anyone who tells other stories is deceiving not only his listeners but also himself.

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Since the Oslo process, Israeli governments have been captives of the concept that others will do the work for them, that the "moderates" will fight the extremists with the weapons they receive. Time after time they have become addicted to this bittersweet illusion.

But Abu Mazen, like Arafat, will not fight against his brothers. At the end of the day he will prefer his brother to his enemy. Temporarily he may present a different facade to survive, but he'll get over it faster than people think.

Terrorist Marwan Barghouti, who committed murder while wearing a Fatah uniform, will not save us. After all, only a few months ago he wrote the compromise documents with the murderous Hamas, from prison.

Abu Mazen, complained Ehud Olmert only recently, deceived him three times. At the Sharm el-Sheikh summit this week Olmert allowed him to do it for the fourth time, but mainly Olmert deceived himself.

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 7:32 PM