Israel Matzav

Abu Mazen beats Obama to the punch

If you were wondering whether US President Hussein Obama or 'moderate' 'Palestinian' President Mahmoud Abbas Abu Mazen would be first to condemn the kidnappings of three Israeli teenagers (one of whom is an American citizen), it only took four days, but Abu Mazen has now won the race. Of course, given that he's Abu Mazen, his 'condemnation' is quite equivocal.

"The Palestinian presidency... condemns the series of events that happened last week, beginning with the kidnapping of three Israeli youths," it said.

Abbas also denounced the massive wave of Israeli arrests thus far. Over 150 Palestinian Arab terrorists have been arrested in Judea and Samaria since Friday, most of whom are affiliated with Hamas. 

"We will continue to work intensively for the release of Palestinian prisoners," Abbas continued. 

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu telephoned Abbas shortly after the statement was released, in the first telephone conversation between the two in months.

Netanyahu said he expected Abbas to help ensure the safe return of three kidnapped teenagers, a statement said.

...

"The Hamas kidnappers went out from territory controlled by the Palestinian Authority and returned to territory controlled by the Palestinian Authority," Netanyahu told him.

"This case reveals the nature of the terrorism we are fighting against," Netanyahu continued. "Terrorists kidnap innocent Israeli children, while our hospitals rescue Palestinian children as patients."

In Arafat's day, the 'Palestinian police' would have 'found' the terrorists, insisted on arresting them and holding them in a 'Palestinian prison,' and then released them at a more opportune moment. Oh wait, Abu Mazen has done that too. 

As to Obama, well, he's too busy to condemn this sort of thing. 

Labels: Abu Mazen, Hamas-Fatah reconciliation, kidnapping, Palestinian police, Palestinian prisoners, Palestinian terrorists

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 3:41 PM