Hell freezing over?

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has actually placed responsibility for the misery in Gaza squarely on the shoulders of Hamas, instead of resorting to the typical “Everything is Israel’s fault” line that has defined Palestinian policy for so long. He even goes so far as to say Egypt is justified in building a massive underground wall to stop smuggling between Gaza and Egypt.

Cairo has the “full right to protect its territory and prevent smuggling of illegal materials into Gaza,” he said. “It is a sovereign and political decision of the Egyptian government and we understand that,” Abbas added, reminding attendants of “the reasons for the Gaza siege. It is, in fact, the coup that Hamas staged that created all the problems for Gaza’s residents.”

Of course, he’s still double-talking on negotiations with Israel by saying he’s willing to return without preconditions but only after Israel accepts a Palestinian state on the 1967 lines. Yes, you read right. He is only willing to negotiate after Israel gives in to his demands.

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Not to mention the fact that the 1967 lines were in reality temporary armistice lines between Israel, Jordan and Egypt, and had nothing at all to do with the Palestinians. Nor were they ever meant to be permanent borders. Then, of course, there is UN Resolution 242, which clearly states that Israel is not required to relinquish the entirety of the territory it captured in 1967, nor should Israel give up any territory without a negotiated settlement first.

These little details of history tend to escape the Palestinian leadership from time to time, as well as Palestinian supporters. Go figure.