Sunday April 3, 2005

I've Been Thinking:

There are mixed messages coming out of the Palestinian Authority.

That's now new.

The problem now, however, is that it is becoming more and more difficult to decipher those voices that are to be believed from those that are pure propaganda or gobblygook.

Al Quds, a London based Arabic newspaper, reported that Palestinian President Abbas successfully negotiated with Hamas to join the PLO and renounce their battle to liberate all of Palestine.

At the same time, Palestinian Prime Minister Abu Ala has been publicly saying on Palestinian radio that this current cease fire agreement with Israel does not negate the ultimate objective of a greater Palestinian State in all of Palestine.

So how do we make sense of this?

The news about Hamas, even if only temporarily, is very good.

But the double message form Abu Ala is typical, almost Arafatesque in style.

We have to continue to watch - and listen - carefully.