Mahmoud Abbas made a superficial rejection of kidnapping Israeli soldiers as part of the Palestinian political culture at the World Economic Forum.
It was, as Israel Matzav points out, as much a thinly-veiled threat as a rejection of the tactic, via Times of Israel (emphasis added):
Abbas categorically rejected the idea of an interim agreement that would lead to a Palestinian state in temporary borders. “Let us put an end to illusion,” he said. “Please forget it, no one in the nationalist camp will accept this.”
He added: “We do not preach hate or discrimination against any religion.” He said Israeli soldiers who got lost in Palestinian territory were swiftly handed back. And he lamented Israel’s failure to release Palestinian security prisoners. Israel had only agreed to a mass prisoner release to free kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit from Gaza, he recalled. “Do you want us to abduct other Shalits?” he asked. “This is not part of our culture. We cannot do this.”
Oh, but Hamas begs to differ, and is honest about the political culture of kidnapping, via Times of Israel:
“Those who refuse to abduct Zionist soldiers renounce the pain and suffering of thousands of prisoners yearning for freedom,” wrote Abu-Ubaida, a spokesman for the Izz ad-Din Al-Qassam Brigades, on his Facebook page, echoing the words used by Abbas in his speech.
The kidnapping of IDF soldiers is at the heart of Palestinian culture, a military Hamas spokesman said on Tuesday, responding to a speech by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in which Abbas called such abductions alien to Palestinian norms.
“Those who refuse to abduct Zionist soldiers renounce the pain and suffering of thousands of prisoners yearning for freedom,” wrote Abu-Ubaida, a spokesman for the Izz ad-Din Al-Qassam Brigades, on his Facebook page, echoing the words used by Abbas in his speech.
“Operations to capture enemy soldiers and trade them for our heroic prisoners are at the heart of our people’s culture, and are a source of pride for them and their resistance,” Abu-Ubaida added.
Kidnapping soldiers has proven very effective for Hamas. The kidnapping of Gilad Shalit resulted in the release of a rogues gallery of mass murderers involved in the highest profile attacks on civilian targets such as pizza parlors and Passover sedars, as I noted at the time, List of terrorists to be released is sickening.
Abbas and Hamas both know the culture, but only one of them is honest about it.
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Comments
You know what? Israel should put an end to hamASS! Glowing would be preferred, IF they in hamPaliASSland weren’t so damn close TO Israel.
That being the case, howz’ about Mikey the Idiot send boatloads of 32oz. drinks OR if Weiner wins, daily exposure pics of his humaabdein thingy?
“The kidnapping of Gilad Shalit resulted in the release of a rogues gallery of mass murderers involved in the highest profile attacks on civilian targets such as pizza parlors and Passover sedars…”
I hope with some kinda tracking device attached, so they can be targeted effectively.
How about the Arab Muslims stop killing people?
Is that too much to ask?