Israel Matzav

Another empty condemnation

On Twitter on Thursday, I read that Abu Mazen had condemned Wednesday's terror attack in Jerusalem. I promptly asked what he had said in Arabic, and was assured by none other than George Hale (the publisher of the 'Palestinian' Maan news service) that Abu Mazen had condemned the attack in Arabic - and only in Arabic.

I'm sure you'll all be shocked - just shocked - to learn that condemnation is empty. Very empty (Hat Tip: Stephen D).

Shortly after the explosion of the bomb packed with steel balls, nails and screws that killed Briton Mary Jane Gardner and wounded 50 people – including two critically – Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salam Fayyad publicly condemned what he specifically called a “terror attack.”

Unfortunately, but not uncharacteristically, the prime minister detracted from that condemnation by adding that the act was “despicable,” particularly in light of the huge damage such attacks have inflicted on the Palestinians in the past. The implication from Fayyad, the ex-IMF economist touted by both local and international media as a “moderate reformer,” was that were it not for the potential negative ramifications for Palestinians resulting from the attack, beginning with possible restrictions on Palestinian movement, the attack would not have been quite so despicable.

...

Fayyad’s condemnation was accompanied by another from PA President Mahmoud Abbas. Unfortunately, but not uncharacteristically, in the same breath the president also denounced the killing of nine Palestinians in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday. The foul attempt at moral equivalency was clear: The intentional targeting of Israeli civilians was comparable with an IDF operation to stop the launching of Grads, Kassams and mortars at civilians, but which had the unintentional and tragic result of causing civilian deaths [By the way, Barak Obama did the same thing. CiJ].

Fayyad’s and Abbas’s reactions were, of course, somewhat more palatable than Hamas’s declaration that Wednesday’s attack in Jerusalem was a “natural response to Israeli crimes against Palestinians,” a presumed reference to the IDF's ongoing attempts to stop the barrage of various lethal ballistics launched by Hamas and other Gaza-based Islamist groups at civilians in the south. Somewhat more palatable. But not much more than that.

...

Only if the PA, or some other more enlightened Palestinian leadership, utterly rejects terrorism, introduces true democratic reforms to Palestinian society, stops incitement against Israel and internalizes the right of the Jewish people to political autonomy and peace alongside a Palestinian state, will there be peace.

Until then, the hateful extremism which produced Wednesday’s bombing, and which continues to produce the ballistic assault emanating from Gaza, will preclude hope of a better future.

Well, maybe. Or maybe Israel ought to be looking for an alternative solution.

Labels: 74 bus bombing, Abu Mazen, Barack Obama, moral equivalence, Salam Fayyad

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 8:22 AM