Abbas said the Arab League had discussed allowing armed resistance to Israel's occupation if the bid for full membership of the UN failed, and that some countries supported the idea.It isn't like Abbas has an ethical problem against killing Israeli civilians - it's just that he is afraid of losing!
But the president said Palestinians did not want armed resistance "unless you all take a decision to launch war."
He added: "I cannot fire one single bullet at Israel because all I have is a policeman with a Kalashnikov and minimum ammunition."
After all, what did he do to stop the second intifada? Since Arafat's death, when he took over as leader of Fatah in late 2004, there have been multiple deadly terrorist attacks that Fatah claimed credit for.
This is in line with what Abbas said in 2008 to a Jordanian newspaper:
At this present juncture, I am opposed to the armed struggle because we can't succeed in it, but maybe in the future things will be different.He also said something similar last year:
"I have said more than once that if the Arabs want war - we are with them....We do not wish to turn to armed struggle, because our [lack of] capabilities and the international atmosphere do not allow for it.(h/t Mike)
...
"I turned to the Arab States and I said: 'If you want war, and if all of you will fight Israel, we are in favor. But the Palestinians will not fight alone because they don't have the ability to do it.' "
I cannot find any indication that Abbas condemned yesterday's attack near Eilat. He used to mouth meaningless "condemnations" after his people massacred Israelis, but even then his words always betrayed that he didn't have any moral qualms about those attacks. He would say that the attacks "worked against Palestinian interests" or were ill-timed but he would never show any indication that he was truly offended by them.
People like Abbas who mouth words of "peace" as a tactic are far from peaceful.