President Obama yesterday welcomed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to the White House, in yet another attempt to revive the stalled “peace process.”
But in an indication that he is really not serious about this, the president complimented Abbas for simply denouncing violence. “I have to commend President Abbas,” Obama said. “He has been someone who has consistently denounced violence.”
But while Abbas is “denouncing violence,” it’s been the Palestinians who have consistently brought on violence against Israel. He can denounce violence all he wants to. But if his people are still perpetrating violence against Israel, it doesn’t mean anything. It’s sort of like the completely empty sanctions Obama announced against a few individuals in Russia.
And then Abbas has the nerve to say there’s an urgent need for an agreement. You need an agreement? Why don’t you stop lobbing bombs at Israel? You don’t have any time to waste? You’ve been wasting time for decades! I visited Israel some years ago. I talked to officials of the Israeli government, and their feeling is that every time they give an inch, the Palestinians demand another foot.
Maybe Obama commends Abbas because Abbas is just like Obama in this respect: He always has lots of talk to bring to any situation. The talk means nothing. Fortunately the Israelis understand this a lot better than Obama does.
