Editor's Letter
The Palestinian Facade
D
on't trust the Palestinian Authority, the so-called mod-
erate Palestinian political wing governing the West
Bank, until it proves its desire for peace with Israel.
Consider what an official of Fatah, the ruling political party,
said in a P.A. TV interview: The P.A. will resume violence and
terror against Israel when Fatah is
capable of doing so and "according to
what seems right:'
Peace is not a Fatah goal, said a defi-
ant Kifah Radaydeh on July 7, reports
the Jerusalem-based Palestinian Media
Watch (PMW), one of the West's key
pipelines for Middle East truth.
"It has been said that we are negoti-
ating for peace,' Radaydeh stated. "But
our goal has never been peace. Peace is
a means; the goal is Palestine
The clarity of that statement is unde-
niable. Radaydeh framed that position by saying "we do not rule
out the possibility of the armed struggle or any other struggle."
She went on to drive home a point every Jew should ponder:
"I do not negotiate in order to achieve peace. I negotiate for
Palestine in order to achieve a state
Just The Facts
responded with applause when two terrorists who commit-
ted the worst terror attack in Israel's history were referred to
as martyrs. The speaker was Ahmed Queria, the chief P.A.
negotiator in peace talks with Israel. He spoke at the opening
ceremony of a Fatah general conference. Dalal Mughrabi and
Khaled Abu-Usbah hijacked an Israeli bus in 1978 and mur-
dered 37 Israelis, including 12 kids.
Also on Aug. 4, Fatah convened in Bethlehem for its first con-
gress in 20 years. Nasr Jom'a, a delegate to the P.A. parliament,
said the congress sought to rebuild the once dominant, but
now struggling party of Yasser Arafat. In a Jewish Telegraphic
Agency (JTA) story, Jom'a said: "It's an important step in the
life of Fatah and comes at a critical time in the political life of
the Palestinian people. Fatah has deteriorated over the years. Its
political agenda may have been convincing, but its leaders have
become corrupt:'
Now that's an honest appraisal.
Jehad Hamdan, a former economics professor who now
heads the institute responsible for civil servants in the West
Bank and Gaza Strip, told JTA that Fatah has made strides in
correcting its financial "misadministration" — its corruption.
He said Fatah maintains a support base. "I don't think Fatah
has lost the people,' he said. "Fatah is still strong, but it does
need to renew itself."
It can start by recognizing Israel's right to exist peacefully,
with secure borders and as a Jewish state. Hamas, the ter-
ror-monger that rules Gaza, isn't alone in declaring that jihad
against Israel isn't dead.
Don't be fooled. When Fatah, and by extension its leader,
President Mahmoud Abbas, refers to Palestine, it really means
the Land of Israel — the pre-1948 borders. PMW reports that
the Fatah flag still shows the map of Israel under rifles. The
same symbol appears on the Fatah Web site and official Fatah
Internal R.A. Strife
publications. A P.A. TV documentary aired monthly since 2007
JTA concluded its Fatah congress account by indicating that
affirms denial of the existence of Israel. The script includes the
Fatah exiles "tend to have a harder-line approach on issues like
telling phrase, affa, an ancient coastal city, is the bride of the
armed resistance" than West Bank party activists, who are gen-
sea and Palestine's gateway to the world."
erally seen as "more tempered and prag-
A.
P.A. strongman Muhammad Dahlan
matic, having lived through two intifa-
stresses that Fatah won't recognize Israel.
das." JTA then cited Ahmed Mohammed
He said recognition by the P.A. is a politi-
Deik, a Fatah delegate from Yemen,
cal ploy to gain international standing
who perceptively acknowledged that
— and foreign aid.
the party's main challenge is not Israel
The tactic is working: The United
or the West, but its main Palestinian
States has transferred $200 million to the
rival: "The world supports our national
Palestinian government to help ease a
project, but Hamas — that is our big-
growing budget deficit in the wake of the
gest problem." Clearly, the world doesn't
eight-year-long Palestinian reign of ter-
"support" Fatah's discredited mission.
ror and Israel's defensive response.
Fatah's flag shows g uns held over Israel.
But Deik correctly isolates Hamas as
Listen to Dahlan's logic: Recognizing
Fatah's top adversary.
Israel is required of the P.A. to attract assistance for reconstruc-
Political commentators are feasting on President Obama's
tion and relief. "This can be dealt with [only] by a government
belief that Israeli settlement expansion in the West Bank and
that has relations with the international community, one that is
east Jerusalem is an obstacle to Israeli-Palestinian peace. I
acceptable to the international community, in order that we can doubt the president backs a complete settlement freeze. And
work together and benefit from the international community:'
a prolonged debate would obscure fundamental matters
He's politically astute.
like security, borders, Jerusalem, refugees, Palestinian sover-
I understand America aiding the innocent Palestinians who
eignty and settlement evacuation, as the Washington-based
have fallen prey to their terrorist leaders' desire to destroy Israel.
Foundation for Middle East Peace suggests. So I urge the presi-
But we shouldn't view the P.A., Fatah or President Abbas as a
dent to define "freeze" and reconsider the variables.
legitimate peace partner until there's a legitimate reason to do
The central issue disrupting any progress is unmistakable:
so. It's maddening that Palestinian schoolbooks and television
deceptive, depraved and failed Palestinian leadership. ❑
routinely and defiantly teach kids to imagine a world without
Israel, and I dare say, Jews. To think Israel can compromise with
0 : Should Fatah be trusted
•
a political entity bent on destroying it is naive.
in any new peace talks?
Same Old, Same is
Still straddling the fence? Then consider: The Palestinian
Media Watch issued an Aug. 4 report that Fatah leaders
W Q
Z z
5 0
an-
Are Hamas and Fatah
irreconcilably split?
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August 13 ' 2009
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