Fatah newspaper op-ed complains about Hamas leader hugging Carter

The West generally regards Fatah as moderate political party, especially in comparison with Hamas. This meme permeates American and European coverage of the Middle East, as it is an easy shorthand way to explain things.

However, in Arabic, Fatah members and the pro-Fatah media often attack Hamas for being too accommodating with Israel!

We've documented this many times, with both Fatah leaders and others complaining about Hamas' supposed moderation.

Today we see another example, in the pages of the adamantly anti-Hamas and pro-Fatah news site Palestine Press Agency.

Op-ed writer Ahmad Dahglas is disgusted by Khaled Meshal hugging Jimmy Carter in Damascus last week, saying that it shows that Hamas supports the idea of a Jewish state.

He blames Carter, as architect of Camp David, of supporting a Jewish state in Palestine, something that is obviously unacceptable to any self-respecting Arab. He calls Carter "the head of the snake that has poisoned the region" and his desire to see Israel exist makes him as bad as Herzl.

For Hamas leader Meshal to embrace Carter is akin to him hugging Menachem Begin or Theodor Herzl, according to this op-ed.

How moderate Fatah is!

(h/t JSS for the more complete Carter picture, and a nod to Meshal's right hand)