Comments on: According to WaPo, Obama has turned Abbas into a hardliner

By: Bruce Wolman

Bruce Wolman — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 01:02:58 +0000

Hei JES49, I didn't claim to be doing original reporting. It was a critique of an op-ed. Mondoweiss is a blog not a newspaper. I wouldn't call the Abbas entourage stupid, but it wouldn't take much effort to improve their communications strategy for the United States. Almost any of the young Palestinians in America could do a better job of getting the Palestinian message across to the American public. If the PA leaders meant what they said, it didn't last the weekend. I am not a reporter, but I would have asked Abbas what the gaps were between him and Olmert, and then I would have let the readers decide their significance. But glad to hear there is at least one reader of the Post who considers Diehl a capable reporter rather than a propagandist. You might try calling up Colby King to get him to confirm your judgement. If you had done your own research, you might understand the 2005 Palestinian Presidential election better: The United States had put tremendous pressure on the Palestinians to name Mahmoud Abbas Prime Minister during Arafat's last years. Having little popular support, he was not the most likely choice to succeed Arafat. From Time Magazine, 12/17/2004: [Marwan] Barghouti, a former moderate who now represents the radical wing of Fatah, has much greater support among ordinary Palestinians than the more moderate–and more aloof–Abbas does. At 45, Barghouti also has the backing of younger Fatah leaders who are pressing for longtime Arafat confidants like Abbas, 69, to reform the corrupt regime. Barghouti's candidacy threatens to produce a major split in Fatah that might lead to violence if an election loser challenges the results. From Wikipedia: Opinion polls before Marwan Barghouti withdrew his candidacy suggested that the contest would largely be a two-horse race between him and Mahmoud Abbas. Details of some of these polls are as follows: Abbas 44% / Marwan Barghouti 46% (±3%) (Development Studies Program, Bir Zeit University) Abbas 40% / Marwan Barghouti 38% (±3%) (Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research) Abbas 40% / Marwan Barghouti 22% (±3%) (Palestinian Center for Public Opinion) [As later shown in other elections, Palestinian polling overestimated Fatah's strength. Hamas did not even put up a candidate for the 2005 Presidential election.] The election campaign faced problems due to the widespread blockade of the Palestinian territories by the Israel Defense Forces. Despite Israel's assurances that it would do what it could to ensure that the election took place, in many instances Israeli forces actively interfered in the campaign. Among reported incidents was the arrest of Mustafa Barghouti by Israeli forces and his subsequent expulsion from East Jerusalem when he was going to hold an election speech there. He was also prevented from entering Nablus and Gaza. Bassam al-Salhi, candidate for the socialist Palestinian People's Party, was also prevented from visiting East Jerusalem. Many of Abbas' opponents claimed that they were unfairly treated as Israel denied them entry to areas Abbas was allowed to visit during the election campaign. Abbas was the only candidate allowed access to Gaza. Abbas' term was up in January. Yet, no election is in sight. Abbas lost public support long ago. This is not a sign of how fickle the Palestinian voters are. It's a rational response to the disappointing policies of the United States and Israel and Abbas' inability to alter those policies, even though the United States and Israel supported Abbas' election.

By: DICKERSON3870

DICKERSON3870 — Sun, 31 May 2009 21:47:26 +0000

RE: "Do Jewish Israelis (and diaspora Jews ?) have to be especially sensitive towards Palestinians?" MY OPINION: Jewish Israelis – Yes, to be consistent. diaspora Jews – debatable Americans (U.S.) – probably

By: DICKERSON3870

DICKERSON3870 — Sun, 31 May 2009 21:39:09 +0000

RE: "Roger Cohen…(Do I have the right Cohen?)" MY COMMENT: Roger that! (in CB lingo) Roger Cohen of the"'NYT". Definitely not Richard Cohen of the "Washington Post".

By: Mooser

Mooser — Sun, 31 May 2009 20:28:48 +0000

They are all changing and growing rapidly, Phil, Adam, MJ, Roger Cohen, many more (Do I have the right Cohen?) I look for, and it's pretty plain after so many years, whether they exhibit in their writing (I don't know 'em personally) a basic sense that the only equivalence between the two sides is that they are both human beings. Events are forcing people to make clear their stands. And many people are clarifying their stands for themselves, and having to explicate them for the first time.

By: Mooser

Mooser — Sun, 31 May 2009 20:21:42 +0000

I don't know if they have to be all that sensitive, but they could stop the four-decade military occupation complete with collective punishment, and/or their support for it.

By: Mooser

Mooser — Sun, 31 May 2009 20:19:01 +0000

No, Ed, the only thing that's spreading is your bottom, if you spend too much time poring over 1950's John Birch Society tracts. Sorry, Ed, for all I know your buns are the talk of the neighborhood, and ostensibly moderate Christian women just about lose their "moral authority" when you jog by in your Capt. America spandex jogging suit. I can only lag behind, holding your winbreaker, the label reading: MADE IN CHINA.

By: Mooser

Mooser — Sun, 31 May 2009 20:13:00 +0000

Whenever Ed feels threatened in an argument, he begins to assign membership to all kinds of groups. First, of course, he goes with "left". And from admitting one might be somewhat leftish, it is, of course. only a teensi-weenie-little-baby step to full member ship in the Polibureau or Supreme Soviet and Chinese Communist Party Central Committee. I've never been promoted so far in one comment. Does he really think that "if you disagree with me you must be a Commie" is a devastating reply? Does it show, unlike Mel Gibson, insufficient "reverence for the Cross". I get worried, what with Ed's connections to that shadowy group, "the rest of us"!

By: Ed

Ed — Sun, 31 May 2009 18:47:21 +0000

I agree. You're right, of course. Something about that paragraph I cited that Rosenberg wrote really set me off. It's a victim entitlement mindset, the kind that was the basis for Zionism, and it's spreading.

By: Citizen

Citizen — Sun, 31 May 2009 17:22:12 +0000

No. Just a reminder of who has the power, both over there, and over here. Let's all work to change this by informing the USA public of just what has gone down in the I-P conflict for over a century. I admit it is a big task since your career hangs in the balance for honest people.

By: Citizen

Citizen — Sun, 31 May 2009 17:18:20 +0000

Pretty hard to bless jewish right of return with full rights over arabs who have lived there for centuries until they were booted out or occupied, yet get all upset when palestinians demand right of return. Do we have a one-sided version of affirmative action here? Whites can't do it the USA, so why should Israel, our welfare client bar none?