The delusion of the colonised. Please sir – the ones who have spent their entire lives demonising, killing and occupying us – treat my people well. God help the Palestinians under Mahmoud Abbas:
The Palestinians have long feared the Jewish lobby in Washington. Now, they are embracing it.
During a swing through the U.S. capital this month, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas was the guest of honor at a dinner with a small but influential gathering of more than 30 Jewish American leaders and political heavyweights. In what participants on both sides have described as a highly successful meeting, Abbas patiently fielded questions for more than 90 minutes, discussing such touchy topics as Mideast peace talks, anti-Israeli incitement in the Palestinian media, violence and terrorism and the Holocaust.
It was a dramatic departure for the Palestinians, who have traditionally viewed the American Jewish leadership with a mixture of awe, animosity and envy for its political skills and influence over what is seen as a pro-Israel U.S. policy.
Palestinian officials say it was the first time Abbas has met with such a large and diverse group of Jewish leaders, and reflected a realization that courting American Jews could benefit the Palestinians.
“I think it’s a mistake to ignore these institutions and communities by saying that they are against us, and that we should not talk to them,” Abbas told The Associated Press. “No, we should sit with them, and we should try to convince them by talking to them.”