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This is meaningless. He has only stated it was a tactical mistake. He has never said it is morally wrong to kill Jewish men, women and children. They’re all terrorists, just yapping different things to confuse us.

Abbas is probably just doing a public relations scam, but I am actually hopeful that there is a chance for real substance here. Two things have happened that I think are substantive and open a window of opportunity where there never was one before.

First, Arafat is dead.

Second, the Intefada has failed.

It seems possible to me that new leadership of the Palestinians could want to try something other than intefadas that fail.

ìFirst, Arafat is dead.î

Arafatís death is the most important reason to be optimistic. Still, I see little hope of substantial improvement until more Palestinian radicals are either jailed or killed—and cut off from further financial support. They currently intimidate the more moderate members of their community.

Whether this is 100% lip service or not, from the perspective of the election, it might be his “Howard Dean scream” moment.

The moderates will definitely have to clean house before they gain any real momentum (or credibility), IMHO.

And yet, he’s still got Fateh Party flags in his office.

You know, the ones with crossed rifles and a grenade. In “Palestinian” hands. Over a whole Israel.

The man’s perfecting Arafat’s secret formula for Bleeding Heart Liberal Reporter Chow, and everybody’s squirming to get a place at the trough.

I won’t trust Abbas further than I can throw him. But there are a couple of thing worth noting:

1. They probably don’t know where all of the money Arafat stole are hidden.

2. There is currently no viable economy in the PLO held territory. No economy, no revenue. You really cannot have economy when your primary form of action is terrorism.

3. Running the Intafada is not cost free. It’s actually quite expensive when there is no economy to back it up.

4. Countary to the Oslo accord, Arafat has set up a whole series of security forces that’s more apt to attack each other for power. This is also a burden on the infrasture that PLO can really do without.

5. The entire PLO government is corrupt, from top down. Corruption addes cost to everything.

6. They can only streach this Intafada scam for so long. They’re currently kind of broke, despite the best effort of European Union proxy war against Israel.

7. What other choices do they have? Buy a nuke and nuke Tel Aviv?

I think he’s very eager to be seen and remembered as an effective and great leader; a statesman. Since he will never attain Arafat-type stature from his own people, he has a better chance of rising to such heights in the arena of world opinion. (I am more concerned about the attitudes of many those external onlookers that may hold sway over his actions).

Unfair or not, it is unrealistic to expect a Palestinian leader in the current state of affairs to go farther than Abbas already has in denouncing the violence of Intifada II. His life is already in great jeopardy and the main thing keeping him alive now, IMHO, is the desire of most of the Palestinian factions not to look like disorganized bands of bungling murderous idiots undeserving of a state.

For now, I pray for him to remain alive and to win the election…there is no moderate alternative (or as they say in Israel, “Ayn Brayruh”).

Does the absence of Barghouti (or some similar figure) from in the race mean Abbas will have more or less domestic leeway upon winning?

I have my doubts, but sooner or later something has got to give. The present state fo affairs can not go on forever. Maybe Abbas realizes that and wants to be in a position to benefit from a need for change.

At least with Arafat gone there is some hope. The hatred will not go away for a long long time, but they don’t need to love each other to find a peace.

If Abu Mazen’s sentiments re Intifada II are genuine, it’s a breakthrough, devoutly to be wished. However, these people have become addicted to the violence they perpetrate; it’s more fun than al-Jazeera; in fact, you can pull it all off on the street and go home and watch it on al-Jazeera. What can Abu Mazen offer them that can match that.

All these young unemployed and over-educated young Arab males having nothing to do but jihad and violence has its own seduction. It’s addicting.

sigh:

Abbas Denies Seeking End to Armed Struggle

PLO chairman Mahmoud Abbas Wednesday denied calling for an end to the armed struggle against Israel. “I don’t want my comment on the demilitarization of the uprising to be misunderstood….All I meant is that we are in a phase that does not necessitate arms because we want to negotiate,” Abbas said in Riyadh. (UPI/Washington Times)

a “phase” = time period with a begining and an end.

hm. sounds like he means a hudna…

meanwhile, over in hizballahland, someone’s reading from the same script:

Hizbullah PR Director Ibrahim Farhat: We May Adjust Our Terminology But Will Not Change Policy

and then there’s this:

Abbas Rejects Israeli Initiative to Resettle Palestinian Refugees

PLO chairman Mahmoud Abbas on Wednesday rejected a new Israeli initiative to resettle Palestinian refugees in the West Bank, Gaza, and neighboring Arab countries. “Any proposal regarding the resettlement of the refugees is completely rejected,” Abbas told reporters in Saudi Arabia.

right…..b/c once refugees are settled, they’re no longer refugees, and all the career rabble rousers that feed on the refugee issue have to find a real job.

Reminded me of this:

Arabs Ignore Palestinians’ Plight