Another suicide bomber hit Netanya. Five dead, dozens wounded. The usual AP spin, and the usual palestinian spokesliars’ feeble “condemnations”:
The Palestinian Authority strongly condemned the attack, stating that it opposes any attack on civilians. PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas also condemned the bombing, saying it damages Palestinian interests.
Senior Palestinian officials, including PA negotiator Saeb Erekat, called on the Palestinian factions not to “play into the hands of Israel and get drawn into its provocations.”
Murdering civilians is “playing into the hands of Israel.” Right. Die, Erekat. Now would be nice.
The AP spin, of course:
The bombing escalated already heightened tensions between Israel and the Palestinians, marked by recent airstrikes and rocket attacks. Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon scheduled an emergency meeting of his Security Cabinet later Monday to discuss a response to the bombing.
[…] In Ramallah, Abbas condemned the attack and promised an especially harsh response by his security forces.
“This operation … against civilians causes the most serious harm to our commitment to the peace process, and the Palestinian Authority will not go easy on whoever is proved to be responsible for this operation,” said a statement issued by Abbas’ office.
Wow, that’s some harsh condemnation. This “operation” causes serious harm to the peace process. What about the people who were murdered, schmuck? It caused a hell of a lot more harm to them. And don’t make us laugh at your threats. The only way the PA will do anything to prevent future suicide bombings is if the bomber is a member of the opposition political party and you want to rig the election. No, wait, in that case, they’d let him do it.
Countdown to calls for restraint from the Israeli side: Started at 8:30 a.m.
But neither Bush nor Rice have held Abbas to the accords he and the PA signed with regard to the Roadmap.
From his first visit to the Whitehouse he has been given a pass on cracking down on the terrorists. Oops, sorry, meant to say the UN’s “insurgents against occupation”.
Just like the Gaza border accord, brokered by Rice and broken the minute it went into effect by both Palestinians and their European brokers.
Of course they never forget to mention Israel’s accountability wrt the Roadmap.
PM aide: Israel ‘feels free’ to take necessary protective action
In one of those revolving door prisons to keep them safe from the helicopters?
And don’t forget Abbas’humanitarian side
On the very day of a suicide bombing in Netanya, it has been reported that the chairman of the Palestinian Authority gave budgetary approval to assistance for the families of suicide bombers.
Each martyr’s family will receive a monthly stipend of at least $250 from the PA.
The budget for families of martyrs, prisoners, and the wounded could reach $100 million a year out of an annual budget of over $1 billion.