06 March 2005

First Things First

Oh, come on...

RAMALLAH, West Bank — Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas said Saturday he cannot impose law and order in the Palestinian areas until Israel hands over control of West Bank cities, and he urged it to return to talks concerning their transfer.

Israel had promised to hand over five cities following a Feb. 8 cease-fire declaration but suspended talks after a Palestinian suicide bomber killed five Israelis at a Tel Aviv night club last weekend.

"We have no control on the ground," Abbas told a news conference in Ramallah.

But Israeli officials said there would be no more talks until the Palestinians find those behind the Tel Aviv bombing, and they accused Abbas of dragging his feet. Islamic Jihad leaders claimed responsibility for the Feb. 25 bombing.

Now, I've been very supportive of a lot of the rhetoric and action from President Abbas in the last couple of months, and I think he's shown himself to be infinitely better than Yasser Arafat. Unfortunately, I don't think this is the right move on his part.

Israel's stipulation has been that the "Palestinian Authority" must help them stop the terrorist attacks. Islamic Jihad, one of the two terrorist groups who agreed to the ceasefire, broke the ceasefire. The way for President Abbas and his security forces to show that they mean business is not to beg for more control; it's to crack down on Islamic Jihad.

There will be no peace, and there will be no "Palestine" until the attacks are stopped, or until the "Palestinian Authority" starts cracking down on the murderous terrorists lunatics. Let's be honest: Islamic Jihad, Hezbollah, Hamas, the Al Aqsa Martyrs' Brigade, none of them want the peace process to succeed. The only way for Abbas and the rest of his people to get what they really want (an independent "Palestine") is to do whatever it takes to ensure the success of the peace process. That means smiting these terrorist vermin.

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