New York – The Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) today strongly condemned Holocaust Denier and Palestinian Authority (PA) Chief Mahmoud Abbas for accusing Israel of “condemning peace efforts with an undercover military raid in the West Bank city of Tulkarm” in which 5 Islamic Jihad terrorists were killed.

But Abbas said nothing about the murder of a 21-year-old Jewish seminary student from England, Shmuel Matt, and the wounding of an American student by a Palestinian terrorist, and says nothing about recent rockets fired at the Jewish city of Sderot from the newly evacuated areas of Gaza. Israel said all five Palestinian Arabs were “armed, wanted terrorists including an Islamic Jihad leader who had orchestrated two suicide bombings which murdered 10 Israelis in Tel Aviv and Netanya this year.” (New York Times, 8/26/05)

ZOA President Morton A. Klein said, “Abbas’ predictable condemnations of Israel eliminating Palestinian Arab terrorists is intolerable and unacceptable. If Abbas and the PA really wanted peace with Israel, they would praise Israel for successfully getting rid of Arab terrorists who only harm Abbas’ alleged desire for peace and calm with Israel. Destroying these killers only promotes Abbas’ alleged policy of rejecting violence and terror against Israelis. In fact, why haven’t we seen the PA police tracking down and killing these murderers and suicide bombers themselves.

“Instead of condemning Israel, Abbas and the PA should be praising Israel and stating that the PA will work more closely with Israel to end these terror cells and arrest these terrorists. Abbas should be dismantling and disarming the terror groups, not criticizing Israel for doing the PA’s work.

“Abbas’ shrill protest of terrorists being eliminating makes it crystal clear that he has no real intention of peace with Israel or the cessation of terror against Jews. The ZOA urges President Bush and Sec’y of State Rice to publicly criticize these inappropriate verbal attacks on Israeli counter-terror measures. The only aim of these counter-terror measures is to increase the likelihood of calm and peace by destroying those who promote violence and war.”