Weekly Commentary: Palestinian Condemnations Meaningless Without Support
For Just Punishment

Dr. Aaron Lerner Date: 19 November 2014

It’s time for Mahmoud Abbas to send a clear message to the Palestinians:
the perpetrators of terror attacks will henceforth be punished rather than
praised. Instead of pressing for their release, the Palestinian Authority
will do everything in its power to insure that terrorists pay their debt to
society.

Palestinian condemnations of terror attacks are hollow empty rhetoric so
long as these very same Palestinians insist that terrorists who carry out
similar attacks should be freed.

So this is a call to every reporter, politician, official, “peace activist”,
etc.:

There is a simple, straightforward and clear “litmus test” for Mahmoud
Abbas:

+ It isn’t if he condemns an attack: there’s simply too many ways for the
wording or the other messages around it to make any condemnation a nothing
more than a cynical farce.


+ It isn’t if he opposes or even engages in “incitement”: while
“incitement” should not be ignored, focusing on “incitement” inevitably
gets us sucked into a debate over just what is “incitement” and charges from
the other side of Israeli “incitement”.

The true “litmus test” is if the policy of Mahmoud Abbas and the PA towards
those who engage in terror is to facilitate their punishment rather than
reward them with generous stipends as the PA presses for their release.

Dr. Aaron Lerner, Director IMRA (Independent Media Review & Analysis)
(Mail POB 982 Kfar Sava)
Tel 972-9-7604719/Fax 972-3-7255730
INTERNET ADDRESS: imra@netvision.net.il
Website: http://www.imra.org.il