The Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) today pointed to support for Hamas and global terrorism given publicly by Palestinian Authority (PA leader Mahmoud Abbas. Abbas, often and wrongly dubbed a ‘moderate’ who opposes terrorism, said he supports Hamas’ ceasefire demands, which would include a weakening of Israel’s legitimate naval blockade of Gaza in order to prevent offensive weaponry and war-making materiel reachingHamas. Abbas also said in a speech in Ramallah on July 22 that: 

“From the first moment of this barbaric Israeli aggression against our people in Gaza, in Jerusalem, and in the West Bank, we have called loudly about the necessity of stopping this aggression …

“The time has come for everyone to raise their voices and tell the truth, clearly and powerfully, in the face of the Israeli killing and destruction  machine. The oppressing occupation forces have crossed every line and [have broken] all the laws. They have deviated from all standards of human and international morality in their ferocity and barbarism. 

“No one in the world will live in safety and stability while the children of Gaza, Jerusalem, [and] the West Bank, and Palestinian children everywhere, do not live in safety and stability. Praise and eternal life to our brave martyrs. Victory, if Allah wills it, for truth, justice, and the will of our people, which has paid a very high  price for its freedom and independence. The killing and destruction will not frighten us. We will rebuild what the aggression has destroyed and dress our  wounds when we inevitably win and the banners of Jerusalem fly high over  Al-Aqsa and the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem, the capital of  the independent state of Palestine, if Allah wills it. (‘Abbas: No One will Enjoy Stability as long as Gaza Children Do not,’ WAFA [PA News Agency], July 23, 2014).

ZOA National President Morton A. Klein said, “Mahmoud Abbas, often falsely described as a ‘moderate,’ has a long record of extremism that should make his latest, obscene call for war and terror to convulse the world. 

“Little else is to be expected from someone who, only a few months ago, welcomed the Jew-murdering terrorists fredfrom Israeli jails as ‘heroic brothers.’

“Abbas also said some years ago that, ‘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.’ This would appear to be such a time.

“The ZOA has long maintained that Mahmoud Abbas, the PA that he heads and the Fatah party that controls it and which he co-founded, are unreconstructed supporters of terrorism and not genuine moderates and peace makers.  

“A Palestinian leader who neither arrests terrorists nor ceases to honor them is not one who will lead Palestinians on a new path of peace and reconciliation. All the more so, when he calls for terror and violence until his demands are met.”

ZOA has noted the following past Abbas statements:

• On recognizing Israel: “It is not required of Hamas, or of Fatah, or of the Popular Front to recognize Israel” (Al-Arabiya [Dubai] and PA TV, October 3, 2006, ‘Abbas dupes US: “Recognition” is functional, not inherent,’ Palestinian Media Watch, October 5, 2006); “I say this clearly: I do not accept the Jewish State, call it what you will.” (‘Mahmoud Abbas: “I do not accept the Jewish State, call it what you will,”’ Palestinian Media Watch, April 28, 2009).

• Fighting Israel: “We have a legitimate right to direct our guns against Israeli occupation … Our rifles, all our rifles are aimed at The Occupation” (Khaled Abu Toameh, ‘Abbas: Aim guns against occupation,’ Jerusalem Post, January 11, 2007; Independent Media & Review Analysis, January 12, 2007); “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’” (‘Mahmoud Abbas: “If all of you [Arab States] will fight Israel, we are in favor,”‘ Palestinian Media Watch, July 7, 2010).

• On Jews: “The sons of Israel are corrupting humanity on earth” (World Net Daily, January 11, 2007).

• On Israel: “the Zionist enemy” (Associated Press, January 4, 2005; CNN.com, January 7, 2005).

• On a future Jew-free Palestinian state: “If there is an independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital, we won’t agree to the presence of one Israeli in it” (Khaled Abu Toameh, ‘Abbas vows: No room for Israelis in Palestinian state,’ Jerusalem Post, December 25, 2010); the future Palestinian state “will be free of all Jews” (Caroline Glick, ‘Where Obama is Leading,’ Jerusalem Post, May 30, 2011).

• On suicide bombers and other terrorists: “Allah loves the martyr” (Wall Street Journal, January 5, 2005); “Our latest Shahids (Martyrs) are the six who were killed in cold blood by Israeli forces in Nablus [terrorists who killed Rabbi Avshalom Meir Hai] and in Gaza [terrorists carrying explosives and a ladder near Israel’s border fence]” (PA TV (Fatah), Dec. 31, 2009, ‘Abbas glorifies recent murderers,’ Palestinian Media Watch, January 5, 2010).

• On wanted Palestinian terrorists: “heroes fighting for freedom” (Ed O’Loughlin, ‘Abbas courts Gaza militants for votes,’ Age [Melbourne], January 3, 2005); “Israel calls them murderers, we call them strugglers” (Jerusalem Post, December 25, 2004).

• On Palestinian terrorist leaders Yasser Arafat, Hamas’ Ahmad Yasin and Abdel Aziz Rantisi and Palestinian Islamic Jihad’s Fathi Shikaki: “martyrs” (Palestinian Media Center, September 14, 2005); “The ways of the shahids[martyrs] Arafat, Abu Jihad [Khalil Ibrahim al-Wazir], George Habash and even Sheikh Ahmed Yassin – are the ways we recognize. These are the ways in which we are meant to preserve the national interests of the Palestinian people” (Khaled Abu Toameh, ‘Abbas proposes referendum to Hamas,’ Jerusalem Post, November 11, 2008).

• On Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine founder and leader George Habash: “The death of this historic leader is a great loss for the Palestinian cause and for the Palestinian people for whom he fought for 60 years” (‘PFLP founder George Habash mourned as “historic leader for Palestinians”’,’ Daily Star [Beirut], January 28, 2008).

• On Hamas: “We must unite the Hamas and Fatah blood in the struggle against Israel as we did at the beginning of the intifada. We want a political partnership with Hamas” (Jerusalem Post, February 5, 2007).

• On Yasser Arafat: “It is our duty to implement the principles of Yasser Arafat” (Haaretz, January 3, 2005); “We will continue in the path of the late president until we fulfill all his dreams” (Agence France-Presse, November 11, 2005);“The Palestinian leadership won’t stray from Arafat’s path” (Yediot Ahronot, November 11, 2006).

• On using terrorism: “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” (‘Abbas: Armed ‘resistance’ not ruled out,’ Jerusalem Post, February 28, 2008)

• On Fatah’s pioneering role in terrorism: “I had the honor of firing the first shot in 1965 and of being the one who taught resistance to many in the region and around the world; what it’s like; when it is effective and when it isn’t effective; its uses, and what serious, authentic and influential resistance is … We [Fatah] had the honor of leading the resistance and we taught resistance to everyone, including Hizbullah, who trained in our military camps” (‘Abbas: Armed ‘resistance’ not ruled out,’ Jerusalem Post, February 28, 2008).

• On disarming Palestinian terrorists: a “red line” that must not be crossed (‘Candidate Abbas confronts delicate balance on Hamas,’ Washington Times, January 3, 2005).

• On jailed Palestinian terrorists: “our heroes.” (Israel National News, May 26, 2006); In a statement broadcast by PA radio on ‘Prisoners Day,’ “Our position was and is still unwavering – that it is not possible to make peace with Israel unless all prisoners and all detainees are freed …There will be no signing of any agreement that does not guarantee freedom for all of them” (‘Palestinians mark Prisoner’s Day across the West Bank,’ Agence France Presse (AFP), April 17, 2008).

• On the so-called ‘right of return’ of Palestinian refugees and their millions of descendants which, if implemented would end Israel as a Jewish state: “The issue of the refugees is non-negotiable … We … reject any attempt to resettle the refugees in other countries” (Khaled Abu Toameh, ‘Abbas: Aim guns against occupation,’ Jerusalem Post, January 11, 2007); “We will not give up the right of return” (Ali Waked, ‘Abbas: We won’t waive right of return,’ Yediot Ahronot, July 12, 2009).

• On the Lebanese terrorist group Hizballah: A source of pride and sets an example for the “Arab resistance” (Jerusalem Post, August 6, 2006).

• On Saddam Hussein: “Saddam Hussein has entered history as a symbol of Pan-Arab nationalism” (Independent Media Review and Analysis, December 31, 2006).