Mahmoud Abbas' chronic submissiveness

Always lucid and brave Amira.For some of your critics I would say there is the terrorism of Israel and there is resistance to the survival of the Palestinians. As for Abbas as all Arab leaders he clings to power left to sell part of Palestinian territory or Palestinians themselves. This is simple reality.

there are no Palestinians. There is 1.5 billion Muslim Umma, with an outpost in Israel sponsored by "UN". If they stop the war the sponsor will pull funding ( the entire outpost dies from hunger, as their brethren won't let them on the porch ) Logically, they should have married Israel and forgot about the rest... 60 years ago. Cast Lead just gave them perfect excuse. That's where Mr. Goldstone need arises ( neither to Jewish nor to Arab people ) Some marriages come after gallant gentleman falls on a knee, but I knew at least a few that started from the future groom chasing future bride when she tried to spring off the roof of a sky - scraper. Something tells me Jewish and Arab nations are bound to the latter form of foreplay. Considering the prospect it would be nice if Haniyah took to diet...

why Mr. Abbas would throw such a bone to Mrs. Haaas, as if we did not know her sense of direction. If she was a trained Shepard dog, this article would match a perfect "apport" instinct training. One thing she and her friends are missing, how does this lessens position of Mr. Barak. The miscalculation, beginning with report itself, is beyond anything one can imaging. It bridges our times of poor peace to times of good war to which post 9/11 is a sweet prelude. The vision of lackey is servitude to worthy. Mr. Goldstein attained mastery in that regard that exceeds Mrs. Amira Haas as Phd in high math exceeds blacksmith apprentice.

hey Haas, when Abbas called UNWRA he was wearing 3 feet pointy silver beard, while riding Christmas Chariot with 6 caribou singing karaoke "Ain't no sunshine" in a perfect pitch. Well... it might have being his voice actually, but the Goldstein's report sponsors was the force stimulating his lungs and vocal chords.

I'm not a supporter of Hamas's armed wing, however, you have to be blind not to realize that Israel's intentions all along since Oslo were to subcontract the PA to do it's dirty work (i.e using the Palestinian Security Services to jail suspects on Israel's behalf) and to laugh at the PA through every negotiation process. I mean come on, do you really believe Israel and Rabin's main intentions after Oslo were to make peace and allow for a Palestinian state along the 1967 borders? How in the world did the settlement building double during that time period (1993 to 2000) compared to the previous 15 years? Israel's main goal all along was not only to assist in Hamas's founding to counter the PLO, but create an enemy that was willing to fight so it could exert its "We have no partner for peace" propoganda. Now it is reaping what it has sowed.

As so often, thanks are due Ms. Hass for her analytical and moral clarity. Now, the question: what are those of us who agree -- in my case, a religious Jew living in the U.S. -- to do in order to support the right kind of negotiation? I realize the question is probably naive. But I ask in all seriousness. Anyone?

Aside From AMIRA's Shortsightedness-- There IS a LEGITIMATE concern here...for ALL OF US!!! [Amira's shortsightedness is based on: (1) her ignoring current TIMING (not many would "burn the bridge" with Obama, at this point, INCLUDING HER, if she were in Abbas' position. There should be, and there should be a demonstration of, some "power of the brain" working, behind her "power of the pen"); and, (2) her ignoring what is happening politically in America now (healthcare reform)...that is impacting what is happening with the Goldstone report.] For Years Now-- With the Israel-Palestinian conflict, AND BEYOND...there has been a trend for leaders to feel "licensed" BY THEMSELVES/their OWN agendas (not by us/ours)...to commit atrocities and/or sweep them under the rug, after they have committed them. For OUR Own Sakes-- This can NOT be allowed to continue!!! Now-- They do it to OTHERS. Soon-- They will do it to US!!!

The Goldstone Report-- What's happening with the Goldstone report is about TWO main things: 1. American Politics (Healthcare Reform). Palestinians need to pay attention to what's going on with American politics: This will help them understand WHAT/WHY Abbas is doing some of the things that he's doing. It will ALSO help them understand WHY certain parties' positions work or don't work/WHEN to push their leaders on certain things! 2. It's TOO EARLY To Close The Door On What Obama Might Accomplish In The Region: There ISN'T another opportunity coming for another 3+ years. ...Not even one year has passed yet! For Abbas to close the door on Obama, AT THIS POINT...would be FOOLISH on his part!!! And: Abbas has already CLEARLY stated, that the policy is: negotiations BUT with the right to resist. One CAN'T get wiser than that. HOWEVER-- I will say: EXTERNAL pressure on BOTH of OUR leaders MUST NOT let the Goldstone report/similar go PERMANENTLY unaddressed!

Amira-- I've heard discontent expressed about BOTH Hamas & Fatah. MANY aren't interested in Hamas! And: Who are YOU to declare who the leader(s) is/are of the Palestinian people? Isn't that for THEM to decide? Elections-- HAMAS wants to postpone elections/REFUSED to have them...until a unity agreement is reached. Even HAMAS-- Isn't interested in the Palestinian people deciding who their leaders are?UNLESS it is THEM. The Last Years In Gaza-- Have been about THEM...NOT the Palestinian people. Be HONEST about this! And: You want to call them the leader of the Palestinian people? Bottom Line-- I ask YOU, and people like you, this: WHAT has HAMAS accomplished? Let me answer that for you...absolutely NOTHING! WHAT are they likely to accomplish...using the last few years as an example? Let me answer that for you AGAIN...absolutely NOTHING! Hamas' chronic, LACKING strategy has accomplished what? NOTHING!

Amira Hass has a unique talent for reportage of the truth from a nonreligious perspective!

"good for them." While I am generally supportive of Hess' journalistic enterprise, I do not think that she should make rulings on the proper conduct and policies of the Palestinian leadership. She can not know what Abbass' interests are better than he does. This is a strange variation of the Israeli condescention towards the Arabs and the Palestinians which has always been present, especially on the Left. It also suggests that Hess' identification with the cause is not from the point-of-view of universal human rights, but rather from the uncritical perspective of a Palestinian Nationalist partisan.

If you guys want peace then there is no point in negotiating with the weak guys. The same thing happened with Arafat. Back in the day when he was a fully fledged 'terrorist' (cica 1970's) any deal he signed would have had the best chance of being accepted by Palestinians - because he was a hero to them. By the time he was cajoled to sit down and do a deal he was weak and corrupt - any piece of paper he signed and brought back to Ramallah to wave at the crowd - people would have shot at him. Hamas people. If you don't settle with Hamas a new more dangerous group will evolve to replace them.

I propose you try this little test. Get a gun then surround yourself with 100-200 children throwing stones with Palestinian gunmen using them as shields as they fire at you. See how long it is before you open fire. If you raise children for martyrdom through the Mosques, schools and OFFICIAL media what do you think is going to happen? It figures Kapo Amira supports a sick society that sends it`s children strapped with bombs and specifically those who are mentaly incompetent to their death?

Abbas is a humiliated semi-man being, we don?t expect from him a leader attitude, he will never earn it, all Palestinians are now united "thanks to Abbas submissiveness?" his last "Democratic Elections" which gave him power on all levels will kill his political future, he is naked now and ha gave a full support for Hamas especially hamas success to free prisoners was at the same time of traitor act of Abbas

On this occasion I agree with her 100%. So, what is the conclusion? Simple: there is no point talkng to neither of them: one is impotent pretender, another is an open enemy. No chance for any understanding, agreement or peace. Once again, they miss the opportunity.

The simple Israeli rightist is 15%, based on what you say, but their influence and power to inflect unjust, death and displacement on the Palestinians and Lebanese has gone (and still does) so so arrogantly high that it covers whatever sensible and fair voices of Israeli leftist or centalists. You ask me will many of us be there? I cannot speak of all Arabs or Muslims, for they are too many and too diverse to be presented by a sole me. But let me ask you that question: How many of us Arabs or Muslims can be there after seeing what was done in Gaza, Janin, Deer Yaseen, Qana, and Sabra & Shateelah throughout the last 60 years. Your 15% right wing, government, and army with its sheer brutality is making sure that not only will the Arab youth not be there, but also that whatever reasonable diverse Jewish or Israeli voices pass unnoticed. That is why articles such as Hass, newspapers like Harretz, and books by Jewish intellectual ( e.g. Chomsky, Finklstine) need to reach curious Arab

its not the corrupt plo that are the problem is it doris ? natick is still covered in scotch mist even after 20 years or is it dutch mist ????

i thought a.hass had more of the reticent, serene wisdom in her. here she speaks as a youthful, loud radical taking her mouth a bit too full & too far, in disdain of everybody else. did she expect sbbas to rebel against obama outright? not even bibi dares to do that. anybody living daily on the summit of world politics & in the media spotlight ends up bound by the limitations /constraints of this environment. it's the real world of politics as contrasted w/the world portrayed during political campaigns. obama is abbas' last hope, the one giving him the winds in his sails these last months like nobody else has befor him. i'm also shocked by hass' wholesale dismissal of oslo. no doubt these accords were in many ways flawed. but after decades of just maximalism & total non-communication between the parties, what more could anyone expect? in many respects oslo was nothing short of miraculous & paved way for whatever constructive that has followed (in addition to the disasters).

1.People from all over the world, right left and what so ever are telling the Palestinians how to run their affairs. People from Israel, UK, USA, Holland, New-Zealnd etc. listen, it is none of your business, none. For about 80 years every body, his father, sister, mother, brother have been telling this to the Palestinians,it has done no good, please stop, it useless and counterproductive. The best personal friends of Ms Hess were not so long a ago in deep sh... in Gaza. Some were sent down from the roofs, no stairs for them. I wonder what they think about this article.

Abbas wants peace and a life for his people and you are fighting him. What can you be thinking?

Your are nuts. He wants peace and you are fighting him!

They proved it. They are officially traitors with Israel against there people. They are now the protectors of the occupiers and are conspiring with the occupiers to continue killing the Palestinian people. I wonder how this gang will be able to face the people? Were is the honor? Were is the resignations of the very few honorable people left with the PA? Shame on you Abbas and your PA collaborators.

The shame inflicted on the Palestinians, Arabs, and Moslems by Abbas and the gangs around him will not be forgotten. If Abbas has any honor or courage, he will take his gang and family to Egypt and resign. He then can live in disgrace and be paid for the rest of his life by Israel. Unfortunately Abbas and the gangs around him like Dahlan have no honor and is now becoming clear that they are the guardians and protectors of the Israeli occupation. In order to preserve their stolen wealth and seats, they sold their sole and honor. The people of Palestine and the honorable Arab people will never forget.

Thanks to the corrupt Israeli and American relationship. However, Abbas can turn this thing on its head by resigning and leaving the leadership in Fatah's and Hamas hands. Then the international community would be forced into a new configuration with recognition of both groups and it would be up to Fatah and Hamas to accept or reject the report. Dutch

Thank you Amira for telling us that Hamas is the true voice of the Palestinians, proving that There is no real partner with whom Israel can make peace.

Obama has caved in, Abbas has caved in. The "freeze" has been added to the Weissglass bottle of formaldehyde, together with the Gaza Cast Lead affair. The new Peace negotiation charade will again create a "horizon" - and everyone knows that a horizon is ALWAYS endlessly receding ! David

You managed to convince me that the extreme (educated) Left Arabian Muslim and the extreme (educated) Israeli Left can make peace together. Yes. Nay, the extreme Left Arabian Muslim can make peace with the Israeli Center too! In this way, it seems that peace is around the corner since the Israeli extreme Right is not more than about 15% of all Israelis. (simple rightists can adapt to anything...). But how many of you are there?

Israel helped create Hamas, and has since done all it could to strengthen it. Brilliant!

..the Palestinian Authority functions "more than ever before as a subcontractor for the IDF, the Shin Bet security service and the Civil Administration," and that, as Abbas admits, "Hamas is the real national leadership." These are not ideological positions either on the left or on the right. They are simply the facts on the ground.

Amira is quite correct that in the prisons of Gaza and the West Bank, the PLO hierarchy lives quite well within a prostrate economy. Where does that money come from? How is it that the IDF these days refrains from reducing the houses of the PLO leaders to rubble? It did not take too long after the Oslo Accords to see that the settlement project was escalating to new heights and that the Pals were being herded into ever tighter enclaves. At that time, the PLO would have been smarter to announce their refusal to subcontract for Shin Bet and the IDF, resign and hand the responsibility back to Israel. But that would have ended the nice life the hierarchy was leading.

you are too right.i appreciate your courage to announce such positions.if israelis want peace , you must deal wiyth hamas that is the hard number.

I will concur with these comments. The only thing i would add is that when palestinians launched the first Intifada minus the PLO ensconced in Tunisia, Israel reacted with overwhelming brutality, laying the foundations for more violent outbursts from the territories later on. Today Israel basks in the limelight left over from Obama's predecessor. A world where military solutions are favored over negotiated settlements. Where indiscriminate force can be justified. Until America realises that she can no longer afford to dominate miltarily whilst begging Asians to buy her $ this will continue under Obama and maybe the next President too, but in the not too distant future there must be a reckoning. A time when the US can no longer call the tune and her little brother in the Mid East will have to deal with her foes without the implicit support of the US. Only then will Israel settle with the Palestinians. Only by then, Gaza and the West Bank could be a hotbed of Islamic fundamentalism.

Do they want perpetual war? The end of Israel? A lot of terrorizing statements are made. If Hamas and the Palestinians some day decide they care more for their families than for war with Israel, the conflict will stop.

Hamira does not represent the extreme left. She is a journalist making her work with freedom of speech and with a very brave way to introduce us to reality. Of course that this means responsability and a great sence of ethic toward human beings withouth concern of nationality, religion, or nothing like that. So, S do not forget that not always we have to agree to what we read, this is the key of the problem, here, in israel.

I agree with Hass. She's right on the money. Abbas can't afford to disobey his superiors in Washington or Jerusalem or else the consequences are that greater harm will be done to the Palestinians as a whole by blocking their aspirations for a state. I recall a report saying that if Abbas didn't drop his endorsement of the Goldstone Report, the Israeli government would cut off the West Bank from an international cellphone network that Israel was planning to introduce to the West Bank via Israel.

This was the last straw. Abu Mazen should announce a reconiciliation agreement between Hamas and Fateh, set new parliamentary elections for next year (the last free elections having been 4 years ago) and announce his retirement. Only in this way he can restore some of his honour and credibility. Amira, your article is spot on.

If it's true that Hamas is the true representative of the Palestinian people then the fight between the Palestinians and Israel will be to the death (of the Palestinians), because as it is clearly stated in the Hamas charter their goal is not a Palestinian state, but rather the physical destruction of Israel.

that the Oslo Accords did not provide for a settlement freeze. Demands since 1994 for a settlement freeze are more of the same Soviet-style negotiations-"What is mine is mine; what is yours is negotiable."

HAMAS actions in Gaza led to three invasions by the IDF, its economy smashed, and over 1,500 dead Palestinians. The only "benefit" HAMAS brought was releasing 20 prisoners by acting as true kidnappers, releasing a hostage video tape. The so-called leaders, as Amira Hass puts it, can't even screw up enough courage to act like a government and allow the International Red Cross a visit to their hostage, which they claim is a POW. Firing rockets and kidnapping Israeli citizens may seem like pro-active strategy to Ms. Hass, but acting like a government for the Palestinians? It's time that the Ha'Aretz reporter take off her rose colored glasses and remember how she was booted out of Gaza by these so-called leaders back in December 2008.

Who is the Palestinian real leader is something that neither Amira nor the Palestinians can decide.It is decided by the numbers of guns and gunmen.Like with all Arabs,this is the only factor that decided who is the leader. In the current situation the Palestinians have no real leaders,because no one has won the intern conflict,and non of them have the absolute power both in the WB,and Gaza.

Thanks for showing a jewish can be a very caring human with regards to life. Thanks Amira :)

I'm not even going to elaborate on why you're missing the bigger picture of what she's trying to say. But you Israeli-sypathizers always mention things like bus bombings and rockets on Sderot...etc. But what about the occupation that puts every Palestinian in a state of misery in every daily aspect of their lives? and what about all the people, and ESPECIALLY CHILDREN, who died from Israeli bombs? for less than 20 Israeli who died from stupid homemade rockets shot out by a bunch of gangsters to over a 1000 people (atleast 200 infants) dying in a cage called Gaza by bombs. Is that fair and justified in your view? Or is it that you just think that every Palestinian is automatically a terrorist and all the violence towards you is just anti-semitism? It's not! its a displaced and unfree people taking matters to their own hands. If you think that's unjustified ok fine! but live in their shoes for 40 years and maybe you can see how that mentality develops.

i wish that all Israelis think like you ! Thanks agains Amira !

1,400 Palestinians dead v. 13 Israelis. Take the blinders, off, folks. The best way to move forward is to negotiate, as Amira so aptly notes, not to dig in your heels like S, and Chaim Ben Kahan, and "A Nice Fellow," and Bibi, etc. God has NOT given you the right to steal others' land, torture them, kill their children, and take their water. And may our new president cut off funding from this country so that you will have to negotiate.

"The true choice is between negotiations as part of a popular struggle anchored in the language of the universal culture of equality and rights" When one knows what the Hamas really stands for, pretending that they are just struggling for the equality of rights and/or for the universal rights of man is a sad laugh. Enough of selling us the story of the legitimate and pure goals of Hamas while demonizing all of the Israeli people except a minority that is already applying for Judenrat seats. That leads nowhere close to making the rights of Palestinian people having an independent state prevail.

Now...if US pressure on Israel (in light of talks Obama has with Abbas) would have brought about an independent inquiry headed by ex Supreme Court justice Barak....things could be different.. We continue to sink our heels in deep, rather than look for points the can be leverage to really advance the moderates..so we get exactly what Amira is writing about... Stronger extremists, and moderates whose biggest achievements are their own personal gain (i.e corruption)

Well S, sorry but I will disappoint you all the more. You see, I am not a leftist Israeli or a Jew. I am an Arabian Muslim. So you see they are those of us who can see a possibility of living together. What a shame that the extreme Israeli voices here resemble very much the extreme Arabic ones. I guess we are all human beings after all.

Your: "Thank you Amira. It is voices like yours and Gideon Levy, Noam Chomsky, Norman Finkelstein that make us realize that there are many Israelis, and at a broader international scale Jewish people, that just want peace, and are willing to speak out against their governments or dominant media." There are FEW, very few Israelis, who wish the destruction of Israel, in the company of Hamas, Amira and Gideon! Your post places you at the Left extreme among Jews. There is, of course, also a Right extreme. Well, both of you are a minority and, together with Hamas and Jihad on the Palestinian side, the main obstacle to peace.

You are absolutely right! That is why bibi has put money in Abbas bank accounts. He is just a quisling. Everybody knows. And he is not even duly elected!n The Israeli corruption machine never stops. But I think bibi will loose this time. He can't buy Hamas, nor eliminate them from the picture. There is an interesting article ol AlAhram which forecast Israel's end in years. Will Israel fall in five years? Forget the 1967 borders and return to pre-1948 borders, and the sooner the better, writes Jeff Gates* "The undersigned therefore take this means of publicly presenting a few salient facts concerning Begin and his party, and of urging all concerned not to support this latest manifestation of fascism."
-- Albert Einstein, The New York Times, 4 December 1948 Online reports of a study by the US Central Intelligence Agency cast doubt over the survival of Israel beyond the next two decades. Regardless of the validity of the report, with what is now known about the costs in blood and treasure that the US-Israeli relationship has imposed on the US, its key ally, Israel could fall within five years

Thus Abbas has no real authority to accept or reject the UN report as you pointed out. Dutch

No one is more pro-Hamas than Amira Hass and no one wants the conflict to be kept going more than she does. She is upset that Abbas is not more hostile towards Israel? Maybe Amira is missing the days of the daily bus bombings too?

Thank you Amira. It is voices like yours and Gideon Levy, Noam Chomsky, Norman Finkelstein that make us realize that there are many Israelis, and at a broader international scale Jewish people, that just want peace, and are willing to speak out against their governments or dominant media. When we see that we see a glimpse of hope for us living together regardless of our differences, religions, and nationalities. Cheers to you and to Haaretz for bringing out diverse Israeli and Jewish opinions.

She has no sense of what is right and what is wrong and so seeks to blame those who defend themselves against terrorists as somehow culpable.