Sunday, January 2, 2005

I've Been Thinking:

Why are people surprised by the actions of Mahmoud Abbas, aka Abu Mazen? He is, after all, the leading candidate for president in the Palestinian Authority.

In order to garner a significant majority he must:
Articulate harsh anti-Israel messages and present himself as the strong leader.
Be seen in the Arab world as capable of keeping the West and Israel at bay. Keep the others on their toes the way Arafat did so adroitly for decades.

The problem now is: Who is the real Abu Mazen?
His current public embrace of al Aksa and Hamas terrorists and his statements claiming that he will not crack down on them is frightening. Saying that he does not see Hamas as "terrorists" but rather as "fighters against the occupation" is a scary justification for the murder of innocents.
These are chilling reminders of the days of Arafat.

Does he deserve an invite to the White House after his almost certain election?
NO
Not unless he takes a stand against terror and recants his support.
His feet, the real Abu Mazen's feet, must be held to the coals like every other leader.
He cannot give lip-service to the US and then publicly embrace the terrorists.