An Arab on the faux moderation of Hamas and Fatah

Khaled Abu Toameh writes in the WSJ that the “unity government” is, as I have said all along, a sham:

Even before the Palestinian “unity” government was sworn in Saturday at least five European countries announced that they would resume their business with the Hamas-led coalition.

The U.S. has endorsed Israel’s position on the Palestinian government–namely, that its political platform does not meet the conditions set by the so-called “Quartet” of the U.S., EU, U.N. and Russia for ending the boycott. Washington is now under heavy pressure from its Arab allies in the Middle East to deal with it.

But the U.S. should stand firm. The Palestinian government is not committed to the Quartet’s demands that it renounce violence, recognize Israel and abide by agreements signed with Israel in the past. The speeches delivered by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and his new Hamas partner, Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh, at Saturday’s parliamentary session show that the Palestinians are determined instead to continue their strategy of double-talk.

Neither the president nor the prime minister openly called for an end to terrorism or for recognizing Israel’s right to exist. And to add to the confusion, the two men came up with a political program that contains many contradictions and ambiguities.

The wording of the program was drafted in such a way as to allow both Hamas and Fatah to argue that neither party had totally abandoned its traditional position. The equivocal tone is also designed to appease the Americans and Europeans. After all, the main goal of the new coalition is to get the international community to resume desperately needed financial aid.

The only place where he and I are in disagreement is this “desperately needed” financial aid. The pals got MORE aid last year than the year before, in spite of the international aid boycott. They are the wealthiest poor people on the planet.

And Toameh delineates the deception of the palestinians even further:

The program sets a number of conditions for halting the “resistance”–ending the “occupation” and achieving independence and the right of return for Palestinian refugees, as well as an end to Israeli security measures in the West Bank and Gaza Strip (including the construction of the security fence). In other words, Fatah and Hamas are saying that the violence will continue as long as Israel does not meet these demands.

Regarding Israel’s right to exist, the program does not even mention the name Israel. Instead, it refers to Israel as “The Occupation.” It also makes no mention of the two-state solution. Rather, it reiterates the Palestinians’ opposition to the establishment of a Palestinian state with temporary borders.

Although the document declares that the “key to peace and stability is contingent on ending the occupation of Palestinian lands and recognizing the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination,” it does not specify which “lands”–those captured by Israel in 1967 or 1948.

And yet, the world will deal with these people, give them money, and demand that Israel do the same. Because they’ve moderated.

Sure. It’s not like they’re still shooting, stoning, and generally trying to murder Israelis.

Well, actually, it is. Things have gotten so bad that the EU monitors at the Karni Crossing are asking the IDF for help with an escape route after receiving multiple threats on their lives.

The monitors, led by Italian Maj.-Gen. Pietro Pistolese, have raised concerns in recent weeks for their safety following a series of threats to their lives. An Israeli defense official told the Post that several weeks ago a large bomb was discovered on a route used by the monitors to drive through Gaza.

Raise hands, anyone who thinks they’re going to need it.

Yeah, me too.

Now, in spite of all this, how many countries do you think are going to resume aid to the pals?

I’m thinking all of them. Even the U.S.