Abbas playing out his strategy on destroying Israel - and Israel's Left is doing its part

Last month I mentioned that Mahmoud Abbas had written a strategy as early as 1977 of meeting with Israeli outsiders in order to help split Israeli society. At first, he recommended meeting with Mizrahi Jews, thinking (quite wrongly) that their marginalization in Israeli society at the time would lead them to be more conciliatory with Palestinian Arabs.

Then, he changed the strategy to target the Israeli Left as a means to weaken Israeli society. The PLO mentions this explicitly in their current strategy documents.

Sunday he met with left-leaning Israelis again, carefully lying to people who already adore him and not allowing any surprise questions to embarrass him.

The event was co-organized by the One Voice association and Labor MK Hilik Bar, who heads the Knesset Caucus for the Promotion of a Two-State Solution for the Israeli-Arab Conflict. Interestingly, more than one participant explained to me that they did not "trust" the Palestinians, but were motivated to push for vast territorial concessions because they saw no other option. None could explain how a lasting peace could be made with a partner you do not trust; and this strange desperation to believe was to underline much of the subsequent proceedings.

...Buoyed by the sympathetic, largely left-wing audience, Abbas exhibited a rhetorical deftness for which he is less well-known than his Israeli counterpart and nemesis, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu - but unjustifiably so. For artfully woven in between the diplomatic platitudes was some breathtaking double-talk, historic revisionism and sugar-coated incitement - executed with a charm that was almost endearing.

..When, during the Q&A session, one of the carefully-vetted questioners asked how Abbas could assure that an influx of "refugees" - in whatever context - would not tear the demographic fabric of the Jewish state, the veteran diplomat simply grinned and offered a revealing tongue-in-cheek response: "What, do you want to impose birth control on us?"

Hilik Bar shifted uncomfortably in his seat, cleared his throat, mumbled something about it not exactly answering the question... and urged proceedings along.

The Israeli Left is being played like a banjo - and they are either too stupid to notice, or too far gone to care.

I once wrote up a quick list of questions that anyone meeting Abbas should ask him:

• If you are so interested in peace, why did you go out of your way to meet with child-murderer Samir Kuntar?
• Why does the PA name institutions after terrorists who targeted innocent civilians?
• Why is there still daily incitement on PA TV against Israel?
• Do you believe, as Arafat did, that there was never a Jewish Temple in Jerusalem? Do you realize that this position is at odds with what Muslims said openly before 1967?
• Do you agree with many of your people that there should be no "normalization" with Jews in Israel?
• Why did you threaten your citizens who dared to shop in a Jewish-owned supermarket that has low prices?
• Recently you said that you believe that the Holocaust occurred. You wrote a book that claimed that it was exaggerated. Were you lying then, or are you lying now?
• Do you really believe that Jews are raising dogs and wild boars and training them to attack Arab farms, as you have stated in front of the UN?
• Do you really believe that Hamas would accept Israel's existence if you reconcile with them? Do you actually read any of their material?
• Why does the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades terror group still exist, if you are the leader of Fatah? How do they get funded?
• Do you agree with the Fatah platform that terrorism is legal under international law?
• Why does some 6% of the PA budget go towards terrorist prisoners and released terrorists?
• Do you consider the Mufti of Jerusalem who collaborated with Hitler to be a hero?

There are lots more, of course:

• You used to support Lebanese Palestinians' rights to become citizens in Lebanon. Then you changed your mind and said you are against it. What do you really believe, and why?
• More generally, if a Palestinian Arab wants to become a citizen of his Arab host country, should he be allowed?
• Do you consider the West Bank to have been occupied by Jordan from 1949-1967? Why or why not?
• Did the PLO really nullify the sections of the Palestinian National Covenant that denied Israel's right to exist? If so, can you point me to an official copy of the current charter? It doesn't seem to exist anywhere.
• What exactly is the legal basis for your being president for over ten years?

Magicians and psychics carefully use misdirection and make their own rules to trick people. Abbas is the same - he creates situations where he can avoid or bypass answering hard questions without fear that anyone will be persistent and he can pre-emptively answer questions that aren't being asked but that people addicted to wishful thinking will pretend are substantial answers. 

The questions I list are not meant for conservative Zionists. They are meant for Zionist liberals to ask. After all, if Abbas is a partner to be trusted, shouldn't be honestly answer these questions rather than brush off the easy ones?