... three times, but who's counting?
(IsraelNN.com) PA chairman Mahmoud Abbas of Fatah has broken three explicit promises he made to Israel regarding diplomatic matters, and "cannot be depended upon." So says a top Israeli government official.
Abbas, also known as Abu Mazen, is scheduled to meet with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert this Sunday. Abbas will reportedly ask Olmert to show flexibility on two issues - regarding both of which he (Abbas) has lied to Israel in the past.Arutz-7's Haggai Huberman, to whom the source spoke on condition of anonymity, reports that the first lie occurred last June, when terrorist prisoners in Israeli jails formulated what became known as the Prisoners Document. The paper's goal was to formulates guidelines for Hamas-Fatah understandings, and called for an Arab state in all of Judea, Samaria and Gaza. It also emphasized no fewer than five times the so-called "right of return" for millions of Arabs to Israel, and encouraged further terrorism.
In meetings with Israeli officials, Abbas promised clearly that he would not support the document, which was drawn up under the leadership of arch-terrorist Marwan Barghouti. Not only did he support it, however, he made great efforts to have Hamas support it as well.
The second deception of Abu Mazen was just several weeks ago, on the eve of the Hamas-Fatah summit meeting in Mecca. Abu Mazen had promised beforehand that he would not form a unity government with Hamas unless it included the Quartet's pre-conditions: recognition of Israel and agreements signed with it, and renunciation of terrorism. In the end, however, the agreement signed in Mecca for a Hamas-Fatah unity government does not recognize Israel, does not renounce terrorism, and includes only an oblique reference to "respecting" - not "fulfilling" - past agreements with Israel.
Abu Mazen's third lie was revealed in the Maariv newspaper yesterday (Thursday). The paper reported that tax monies Israel handed over to Abbas, based on a clear understanding that they would not reach the Hamas government, in fact made their way to Hamas.Abbas, viewed as a "moderate" by the United States and the international community, "is not trustworthy," the Israeli diplomat concluded.
However, when he meets with Olmert this Sunday, PA sources say he plans to ask the Israeli leader not to torpedo the PA unity government's activities - even though it was conceived in contrast with Abu Mazen's promise to Israel. He also intends to request of Olmert not to pressure the international community to continue its economic siege on the PA - despite the fact that previous monies given to PA were given to Hamas.
Abbas reportedly plans to say that if Olmert does not come through on the above requests, the ceasefire in Gaza will be in jeopardy.
Israeli sources say the ceasefire is already all but non-existent, and that in any event, Hamas is massively building up its arms arsenal for a confrontation with Israel.
I can't believe anyone expects us to take all this seriously, except of course for that last sentence.
And get this, from WorldNetDaily:
While the IDF [Wednesday] raided one Fatah intelligence building in Ramallah, it didn't enter an adjacent intelligence building run by Fatah intelligence chief Tafiq Tarawi, even though the Israeli army had information several more wanted terrorists were inside, Israeli security officials told WND. According to the officials, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert had earlier pledged to Abbas Israel would not disrupt Tarawi's work.The Fatah intelligence unit, for which the militants arrested in today's raid worked, previously received arms from shipments of U.S. weapons sent to Fatah in recent months, including a shipment of 7,000 assault rifles delivered in January, Palestinian security sources told WND. The sources said no American weapons have been received since Fatah signed a unity agreement with Hamas last month.
The intelligence branch was also slated to receive funding from an $86.4 million grant the Bush administration had pledged in January to strengthen the Fatah security forces. The grant was put on hold last month by Congressional leaders who asked the State Department to clarify whether Palestinians terror groups might receive some of the funding.
While the aid is being temporarily blocked, it wasn't immediately clear if U.S. weapons would continue to be transferred to Fatah.
The last American arms shipment to Fatah publicly confirmed by Israel took place in May. At first, the shipment, consisting of 3,000 rifles, was denied by the U.S. and Israel, but Olmert in June admitted the transfer took place, telling reporters, "I needed to approve the shipment to help bolster Abbas."
At the time, Abu Yousuf, a Fatah militant from Abba's Force 17 security forces, told WND while some of the weapons may be used in confrontations against Hamas, the bulk of the American arms would be utilized to "hit the Zionists." Force 17 serve as de facto police units in the Gaza Strip and West Bank.
Abu Yousuf said if there is a major conflict with Israel, U.S. weapons provided to Fatah may be shared with other "Palestinian resistance organizations."
He admitted previous American arms supplied to Fatah were used in "resistance operations" against the Jewish state.
"If Israel will deliver what it promised to Abu Mazen (Abbas), [meaning a] withdrawal from Palestinian lands, including east Jerusalem and the Temple Mount, remove all the checkpoints in the West Bank, release our prisoners and find a clear solution for our refugees, [then] we'll control our forces and the distribution of weapons. But if Israel doesn't deliver, and we find ourselves manipulated by Israel, we cannot guarantee members of the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades and Force 17 will not use these weapons against Israel. Our goal is to change the occupation," said Abu Yousuf.
"Its unnatural to think these American weapons won't be used against the Israelis," he said.
