The American government, even under President Bush, continues to labor under the clearly incorrect assumption that all that is necessary to get the Palestinian Arabs is for Israel to make enough concessions.
The latest poll by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research once again highlight the dysfunctionality of Palestinian Arab society and its total resistance to the very concept of peace with Israel.
We include some quotes from articles about the poll in The Los Angeles Times and The New York Times along with some of our own comments. We generally exclude the explanations from the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research trying to blame the victim, Israel, for the hatred expressed by the Palestinian Arabs.
A press release from the pollsters may be viewed on their web site; as this is written, the poll results themselves do not appear to be on that web site.
"The survey is the latest sign that the Bush administration's effort to shore up secular Palestinian leaders and isolate Hamas is failing."
[The secular Palestinian Arab leadership is no less intransigent than Hamas; one merely has to read the Fatah Charter.]
"According to the poll, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh would receive 47 percent of the vote if the Palestinian Authority held presidential elections today, compared with 46 percent for the U.S. backed incumbent, Mahmoud Abbas."
[Thus, 93 percent of the votes would go to people who have no willingness to make any concessions to achieve peace. Haniyeh explicitly rejects any possibility of peace with Israel, while Abbas/Abu Mazen pretends to be willing to make peace but is unwilling to take any steps to bring it about.]
"Shikaki and other Palestinian analysts attributed the turnabout to several factors: The current peace talks, launched by President Bush in November, have failed to stop Israel's military incursions and airstrikes in Gaza. Nor have they halted the growth of Jewish settlements in the West Bank, eased Israel's security checkpoints there or made evident progress on the big issues of a final peace accord."
[Obviously, as long as Hamas and other terror groups in Gaza continues to launch daily barrages of Kassam rockets at Israeli communities such as Sderot and Ashkelon, Israel has to defend itself.
The current "peace talks" also haven't halted the rampant growth of Palestinian Arab settlements in all parts of the disputed territories.
While Israel has continued to exhibit its willingness to make tremendous concessions to bring about peace, obviously no real progress can made until the Arabs show some willingness to compromise.]
The current "peace talks" also haven't halted the rampant growth of Palestinian Arab settlements in all parts of the disputed territories.
While Israel has continued to exhibit its willingness to make tremendous concessions to bring about peace, obviously no real progress can made until the Arabs show some willingness to compromise.]
"Hamas carried out its first suicide attack in Israel in more than three years and stepped up rocket attacks on Israel."
[Civilized groups don't blow up students studying in school; nor do they launch rockets at cities and towns.]
"The survey also shows unprecedented support for the shooting of rockets on Israeli towns from the Gaza Strip and for the end of the peace negotiations between Palestinian and Israeli leaders."
[It doesn't take a large number of fanatics to sabotage efforts to make peace; when the fanatics are in the majority, as is the case among Palestinian Arabs in the disputed territories, there is no chance of peace.
Policies which pressure Israel to keep appeasing those fanatics only encourage them and actually make peace less likely.]
Policies which pressure Israel to keep appeasing those fanatics only encourage them and actually make peace less likely.]
"His explanation for the shift, one widely reflected in the Palestinian media, is that recent actions by Israel, especially attacks on Gaza that killed nearly 130 people, an undercover operation in Bethlehem that killed four militants and the announced expansion of several West Bank settlements, have led to despair and rage among average Palestinians who thirst for revenge."
[Israel's actions were defensive measures which were aimed at terrorists trying to murder innocent civilians. The rage of the Palestinian Arabs should be directed at those terrorists who keep forcing Israel's hand.
On the other hand, despite the continued brutal terrorist attacks by Palestinian Arabs, one rarely reads about despair and rage or a thirst for revenge among Israelis; nor do Israelis reject peace.]
On the other hand, despite the continued brutal terrorist attacks by Palestinian Arabs, one rarely reads about despair and rage or a thirst for revenge among Israelis; nor do Israelis reject peace.]
"On negotiations between Ehud Olmert, prime minister of Israel, and Mr. Abbas of the Palestinian Authority, 75 percent said they were without benefit and should be terminated. Regarding the thousands of rockets that have been launched on Israeli towns like Sderot and Ashkelon, 64 percent support it."
[Imagine the international outcry if 64 percent of Israelis favored terror attacks against Palestinian Arabs; indeed, imagine the international outcry if even 5 percent of Israelis did!
It's called a double standard. We have grown to expect Palestinian Arabs to support terrorism and we expect Israel to appease those terrorists.
Neville Chamberlain would probably greet these polls as evidence that we are close to achieving peace in our time.]
It's called a double standard. We have grown to expect Palestinian Arabs to support terrorism and we expect Israel to appease those terrorists.
Neville Chamberlain would probably greet these polls as evidence that we are close to achieving peace in our time.]
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