Abbas More Anti-Palestinian Than Anti-Semitic

by Stephen Lendman (stephenlendman.org - Home - Stephen Lendman)

Mahmoud Abbas long ago sold his soul and credibility, agreeing to serve as Israel's enforcer for special benefits he, his family and his cronies derive - betraying millions of Palestinians, going along with occupation harshness.

On Monday, he addressed the first Palestinian National Council (PNC) session since the 1990s.

He criticized Trump's Jerusalem declaration, the session scheduled to continue through Thursday.

Hamas wasn't invited. Its political leader Ismail Haniyeh called the meeting a "clapping party" for Abbas, adding:

"Is it logical that the PLO be the sole representative of the Palestinian people when it does not include Hamas and Islamic Jihad?"

The PNC "does not convey unity in a practical way. (It) does not reflect the nation as a whole, but rather blatantly violates the unity of our people and the legitimacy of the organization and questions its ability to represent our people." 

"The real aim behind holding the conference reflects the poor plots which are made and that our people have rejected."

In January 2006, Hamas was democratically elected as Palestine's legitimate government. Since then, its officials have been persecuted, arrested, imprisoned and assassinated - Gaza blockaded since mid-2007 for political reasons, not security.

Three Israeli wars of aggression along with siege created appalling humanitarian crisis conditions in the Strip.

Abbas was anointed Palestinian president by Israel, serving illegitimately. Telling PNC members he intends taking "tough steps in the near future in our relationship with" Israel and Washington without elaboration was largely bluster without responsible followthrough.

Saying "(w)e should co-exist with them on the basis of a two-state solution" was never an achievable goal, one Abbas never pursued responsibly, something entirely out-of-reach with Israel controlling over two-thirds of West Bank land and Jerusalem, stealing more with all new settlement development.

In over 13 years as Palestinian president, Abbas has been self-serving, why he's widely despised, surely replaced if democratic elections were held - none because he hasn't called one.

According to the London-based Al-Hayat Arabic daily, PNC members are expected to pass a resolution, suspending agreements with Israel, reportedly to be announced Thursday evening local time.

Trump administration Zionist ideologues blasted Abbas' address, Israeli no-peace/peace process special envoy Jason Greenblatt saying:

His "remarks…in Ramallah at the opening of the Palestinian National Congress must be unconditionally condemned by all. They are very unfortunate, very distressing and terribly disheartening. Peace cannot be built on this kind of foundation."

No foundation for peace exists, he failed to explain. Trump's  Islamophobic ambassador to Israel David Friedman said Abbas' remarks "reached a new low," adding:

"(A)ll those who think Israel is the reason that we don't have peace, think again" - a disgraceful remark, mocking Palestinian suffering, supporting Israeli viciousness.

Obama's ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro blasted Abbas' remarks, saying "(i)t's over for (him). What a disgusting way to go out on."

Analyst/columnist Amira Hass said the following:

"The history of the Jews was forced upon the Palestinians and therefore the latter are addressing it at every opportunity." 

"All Palestinians see themselves as entitled, and they are indeed truly entitled, to present the historiography of their land and people - as a counterweight to the Zionist narrative."

This is what (Abbas) did…Monday evening," explaining Israel was "a colonialist project" established at the expense of Palestinians - their land, rights and future stolen, viciously oppressed by a brutal occupier.

There's plenty about him to criticize. Hass incorrectly slammed him for exposing Arab spring fraud. Invented by Washington, it had nothing to do with democracy-building, everything to do with solidifying imperial regional control.

From Oslo to now, Abbas was never committed to Palestinian liberation. His actions belie his hollow pronouncements.

Whatever comes out of the PNC meeting, nothing about deplorable Israeli/Palestinian relations will change.

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