By Andrew L. Jaffee

The BBC keeps trumpeting the fact that Palestinians have a “statehood plan” that “implicitly recognises Israel.” Implicitly? Can’t the Palestinian collective even just say it? “Yes, Israelis have the right to live.” Are we to trust the intentions of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, who is planning a referendum on his “statehood plan” after all that has happened? Are we to trust the BBC’s heralding of this plan, knowing what we do know of Abbas, and the sordid history of Palestinian politics? No and no, respectively.

Remember what happened when Palestinians last “recognized” Israel under Oslo? Many put lipstick on the Arafat pig via Oslo, “gave peace a chance,” and Israel was rewarded with the “most sustained wave of Palestinian suicide bombings in Israeli history.”

Abbas is a member of Arafat’s old guard, Fatah. Regarding Abbas’ referendum, the Beeb claims:

Meanwhile a document appeared - hammered out by Hamas and Fatah members serving time in Israeli jails - which said Palestinians should work to establish a state in the territories that Israel has occupied since 1967.

This is the formula that Fatah has long accepted and Hamas has long opposed.

It also said “resistance” should be limited to the occupied territories, thus by implication excluding attacks on Israel itself.

Fatah has “long accepted” the recognition of Israel? Fatah’s own al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade kept killing innocent Israeli civilians with firebombs packed with nuts, bolts, nails, and screws all throughout Oslo.

Abbas has echoed Hitler’s declaration, “Today Germany, Tomorrow the World”, according to the BBC:

“Today Gaza, tomorrow the West Bank and Jerusalem,” he said.

And the new Palestinian government under Hamas hasn’t changed its commitment to exterminate all Israelis.

Instead of concentrating on Abbas’ referendum, the politically correct may just want to consider that Palestinians are in the midst of a civil war. Even the BBC concedes this, though doesn’t mention the words (”civil war”):

Tensions have worsened between the two sides since Mr Abbas called a referendum on a statehood plan which would implicitly recognise Israel, whose right to exist Hamas rejects.

At least 20 people, mostly militia members, have been killed in clashes between the two factions in the past two months.

…and…

Gunmen loyal to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas have set fire to the offices of the Hamas prime minister and parliament in Ramallah.

Security personnel and militiamen fired shots then rampaged through the offices in protest at earlier Gaza clashes.

Hamas MP Khalil Rabei was briefly kidnapped, but later released.

Hamas and Mr Abbas’s Fatah factions have been involved in a power struggle since the Palestinian elections in January, which were won by Hamas.

Earlier on Monday at least two people were killed and more than a dozen injured in Rafah in the Gaza Strip, amid escalating tension between the rival political groups.

The Ramallah rampage erupted hours after Hamas gunmen attacked a building belonging to the Fatah-dominated Preventive Security agency in Rafah.

I predict that Abbas’ referendum will be about as useful as were the Oslo accords. It is time for the BBC and the rest of the mainstream media to recognize what really matters: Palestinians are fighting a civil war — one between an older, secular (socialist-based) terrorist group, Fatah, and another Islamist terrorist group, Hamas. Some choice: leadership by murderers or leadership by murderers.

Israel cannot be expected to deal honestly with the winner, no matter which side wins.

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Related: Israel, Palestinians, Peace Process, Terrorist Groups

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