Abbas' thin skin

PA president Mahmoud Abbas, known best for doing nothing and waiting for things to be handed him on a silver platter, really doesn't like criticism.

He's gotten plenty of it with his wishy-washy reaction to the Goldstone report, first saying he had no problem with delaying the report debate for six months, and then trying to switch gears under withering complaints from the entire Arab world who know that Goldstone is the best thing to happen to Palestinian Arabs in years. (It is notable that Hamas, supposedly "even-handedly" criticized by Goldstone, is in the forefront of criticizing Abbas for the delay, with very little worry about any negative fallout from the report.)

Former Ambassador to Egypt Nabil Amr lashed out at Abbas last Friday, blaming him for the fiasco. Abbas responded by withdrawing Amr's bodyguards who were paid by the PA.

Al Jazeera was also critical of Abbas, and now apparently Abbas had the brother of the network's director arrested as well.

PA leaders might tell the West what a great democracy they want to build, but they always end up acting like two-bit dictators.