Relatively quiet during this most recent crisis in Israel is the Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.  Abbas once again has been presented with an unprecedented opportunity, and rather than make the most of it, he did what he usually does, willingly and cynically disregard it. The opportunity of which I speak was for him to make believers of even the most extreme skeptic as to whether or not he truly is a worthy peace partner.  Instead, as always,  Abbas chose to take the easy and corrupt way out.

There are two types of dangerous politicians.  The evil ones whose intentions are to cause division or suffering, and the weak ones who make all their decisions based on their own personal standing and position.  Abbas, now a politician with a terrorist resume, has traded in his militant status to become one of the most transparent politicians in the region, if not in the world.  His every move is a calculated way of dancing between appearing willing to make a lasting peace with Israel and conning the world, while appeasing the hardliners not only within his ranks but with Hamas in Gaza as well.  His comments generally are indicative of the poor character of the man, as he does what so many of those who are truly his partners, the ones who do not want peace do, fabricate statements because of their expedience.   Case in point, his comparing Israel’s current military action to the Nazi death camps that killed 6 million Jews.  The ridiculous dishonesty of the statement surely can not be based in ignorance.  Does he not know that the Nazis openly stated their desire to wipe Jews off the planet?  Does he not know the Germany’s campaigns and raids targeting Jews were not attempts to provide a safer non-violent Germany, but solely to kill them?  Does he not know that the death toll of Palestinians is significantly lower than it could be because the Israeli Defense Forces make every attempt NOT to kill civilians, in sharp contrast to Hitler’s Germany that hunted down Jews and murdered them?  Of course Abbas knows.  But what good would it do politically for him to acknowledge that?  Where does he gain by doing what is right?  His place as head of the PA is dependent on motivating the angry mob and placating the ambitious terrorists in his midst.  What better way to do this than to demonize Israel once again at what he sees as another opportune time.  While Israeli politicians will speak out against and act against bad behavior of their constituency, Abbas makes excuses or distorts the facts for his.  It may not be right, it may not be moral, but for a politician with a poor character such as Abbas, it certainly is expedient.

And here in lies one of the biggest problems facing Israel.  Should by some miracle the terrorist organizations get eliminated from the equation they still have a major problem.  They are left with a so-called peace partner who is nothing more than a terrorist turned self-serving politician.  To put this in the harshest and scariest of perspectives, consider this point.  He’s seen as the good one.