By Stan Goodenough
Jun 14, 2006
Although most of us journalists apparently missed it, Mahmoud Abbas has slipped up and let his mask slip down.
By supporting the ?Prisoners? document? over which he has called for a referendum among the Palestinian Arabs, the PA chief has come out publicly in agreement of the use of terrorism against Israeli Jews.
This fact was brought to light Wednesday by a former member of the US State Department?s Middle East negotiating team, Aaron David Miller.
The plan, to which Abbas has pegged his political future, was drawn up by terrorists in Israeli jails in early May. Its clauses include those calling for the establishment of a body to coordinate terrorist attacks on Jews living in Samaria and Judea.
Polls indicate a majority of ?Palestinians? support the plan, and Abbas intends to get an official tally by holding a public referendum on the document on July 26.
While no long-term Middle East watchers would be surprised at Abbas? endorsement of the cold-blooded killing of Jews ? he was after all Yasser Arafat?s right hand man for more than four decades ? the chairman has tried since assuming office to portray himself as a moderate politician.
In this deception he has had the enthusiastic cooperation of leaders and journalists around the world.
Now Miller ? who is no friend of Israel?s ? has stripped away at least one layer of his camouflage.
But too many hopes are being pinned on Abbas for this disclosure to have any noticeable effect on those who are investing in him as the last ?Palestinian? hope.