Abbas's True Colors

The United States, and much of the rest of the world, often makes out Palestinian President Mahmous Abbas to be a "moderate" committed to peace with Israel. They do so because they want to see the "peace process" move forward, and for this happen, they have legitimized Abbas as the sole representative of the Palestinian people. But Abbas continues to demonstrate weak leadership when it comes to taking steps necessary to forge a lasting peace.

This weekend in Hebron, for example, on his first ever visit there since becoming Palestinian President in 2005, Abbas reportedly told Palestinians "Hebron is ours" and that every Jewish settler must leave Hebron for there to be peace.

If there were true peace, Jews and Palestinians would live alongside each other, without any forced relocations. To foster reconciliation, Abbas should instill in Palestinians coexistence with Jews, instead of advocating separation. He should publicly and repeatedly call upon Palestinians to bury the hatchet and welcome Jews as permanent neighbors and not for their ouster. Abbas's refusal to do so demonstrates, once again, that he is a coward, a failed leader, and that his true pursuit is the elimination of the Jewish presence from historic Palestine one part at a time.