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Thursday, December 13, 2012

Soccer Dad's Middle East Media Sampler

Here's Soccer Dad's Middle East Media Sampler for Thursday, December 13.
It depends on what the meaning of the word "peace" is

Mr. Netanyahu’s punitive, shortsighted moves threaten to crush the Palestinian Authority, and its president, Mahmoud Abbas, who has recognized Israel’s right to exist and represents the only credible peace negotiator.  
From Mr. Netanyahu’s Strategic Mistake - New York Times - December 3, 2012

Palestinian Media Watch reports:
The official Palestinian Authority daily published a picture of the official logo chosen by Fatah for celebrations marking the movement's 48th anniversary. The logo features various symbols, including a map of "Palestine" that includes all of Israel, the number 48, the Palestinian flag, and the slogan for the 48th anniversary: "The state and the victory."
Fatah is the party headed by Mahmoud Abbas.

But last week, when he returned to Gaza, Khaled Meshaal said:
"As long as Palestine is ours and Palestine is the land of Arabism and Islam, we can never recognise the legitimacy of Israel's occupation of it," he told supporters.
"There is no legitimacy for occupation. Hence, there is no legitimacy for Israel, however long time lasts."
Despite this Abbas is claiming that Hamas accepts Israel's right to exist.

Israel Matzav, Elder of Ziyon and Israelly Cool find his argument dubious.

Meanwhile in Radical and Moderate Palestinians: Who Is More Popular? Khaled Abu Toameh observes:
The Palestinian Authority's official TV station in the West Bank broadcast Mashaal's speech live, as well as Hamas celebrations marking the 25th anniversary of the founding of the Islamist movement.
If anything, the widespread support for Hamas's position is a sign of how much the Palestinians have been radicalized over the past few decades.
A Palestinian leader who talks about a Palestinian state in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem is less popular than one who talks about "liberating Haifa, Jaffa, Beersheba and Safed."
The peace process, which started with the Oslo Accords in 1993, was supposed to usher in a new era of peace, love and understanding between Arabs and Israelis. The opposite has occurred. Even as the supposedly hard line PM Netanyahu has expressed his support for a two state solution, the supposedly moderate President Abbas presides over political and popular cultures that discourages coexistence.

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