Opinion
Abbas’ Arafat-style speech
Ido Zelkovitz
Published: 24.09.11, 08:20
Comment Comment
Print comment Print comment
Back to article
20 Talkbacks for this article
1. If you can't win them over with logic, try pity.
Devorah   (09.24.11)
2. I agree, Mr. Zelikowich
Jarda ,   Czech Republic   (09.24.11)
The speech was good.
3. Yes, you would think so, Jarda
Linichka ,   Gdynia, Poland   (09.24.11)
4. Excellent speech. Abu Mazen's finest hour.
Ben Alofs ,   Bangor, UK   (09.24.11)
Abu Mazen, a native of Safed, and one who personally experienced the pain of dispossession and exile made a speech which was meant to lift the morale for his people. At the same time he appealed for the implementation of UN resolutions and international law. Nothing more. The world knows that justice is on his side. It is important that in order to strengthen the weak Palestinian position the whole issue becomes once more internationalised. If Israel and Palestine are left to bilaterally 'negotiate' nothing will come off this, as the last 20 years have shown. Nothing but the relentless increase of colony building in the territories (a mere 22% of historic Palestine) that are to become the State of Palestine. That means the default one state solution.
5. dear Mr. expert,
Salma ,   Palestine   (09.24.11)
there is NO Palestinian leader can go beyond the ambitions and goals of the Palestinian people. yes Abu Mazen's speech was excellent and very touching .
6. emotional, eloquence," sincere" but....
mary of Bethany ,   singapore   (09.24.11)
one can be emotional yet without soul, one can be eloquence but without substance, one can be sincere but without truth. Abbas is without soul, without substance, without truth. he raise his own bar in ability to work out the spirit of his people, (just like BiBi raised BiBi's bar of excellency), but his is plainly to stir emotion on the arab world outside Westbank and Jerusalem. He is "gambling" on using the arab spring tide to his advantage, it "Now or Never" for him. even when truth on the ground is far from his reach, even if Hamas may kick him out, just want his 60 seconds (60 mins here) of fame, even if by lying, by threatening, by incitement ... by all means he must get what he wants, with or without UN, EU, Quartet, definitely need not israel! this is Abbas whom you all adore!
7. Palestinian State...
Jonathan   (09.25.11)
Behind all the 'touching' words of Abbas, I still don't get it: Does he really believe that he will get recognised by the world, while NOT recognising Israel ? Does he really think that the world trusts Hamas and Iran ? Does really believe that he can continue with this propaganda, as if people in Europe did not know the truth ? Come on. Hold fire, and sign a peace agreement. Otherwise, it's really now or never for you, Abbas.
8. I disagree # 5
Israeli 2   (09.25.11)
His speech was louzy and filled with lies. Yes?
9. Bibi should make a speech and say
Barney ,   USA   (09.24.11)
you know what. we have had enought of trying to negotiate. we have given and received nothing but terror. let's call the whole thinkg off. Israel . all of it , is the nation and home of the Jews. Friendly arabs are welcome to live there. Hostile arabs we will move you out. You have a few muslim countries to relocate to. Have a nice day
10. Israel must now deny and correct every lie and error........
Israel's response ,   Jerusalem   (09.24.11)
Point by Point. And they were many
11. Abbas is as bad as Arafat....and not wiser !
Chris Rettenmoser ,   Bayerisch Gmain Germ   (09.24.11)
12. The state of Palestine is the solution of the
Vardina   (09.25.11)
refugees problem. Therefore there is no legal basis to their claim to any rights of returning to Israel. If they want to return to Israel (which is out of the question anyway) there is no justification for establishing the state of Palestine. Why do our spokesmen forget to remind the world ?
13. 1. Whose speech are you talking about?
Ussishkin ,   Tel Aviv Israel   (09.25.11)
Yahu's speech was full of pleas for pity for the Jews of Israel and their history and their victimhood and the threats they face from all quarters. All his justifications made him and us sound very weak. All his protestations made us and him look very insecure. It was as if we didn't have a state, we were not the region's military power and we were scared. Oh and just before you hit the keys to type the word Lefty, as much as you'd like to dismiss what I've said, understand that I'm a Zionist.
14. Ussishkin #13 I agree with you
Gee ,   Zikron Yaakov   (09.25.11)
Time to start stating the facts. The land that the Arabs occupy is ours. Ours by moral and legal grounds. The Arabs' claim to the land can be summed up as: "We saw it- we stole it - we want the rest too". Time to send the Jordanians back to their own country. Enough of this stupidity.
15. #12. Paying Arabs to leave Judea/Samaria is the solution.
Chaim ,   Israel   (09.25.11)
#12. The solution is very simple. Arabs are already leaving Judea and Samaria by the tens of thousands annually, without Israeli compensation. Most have been telling pollsters for decades they'd like to leave. The solution is for Israel to pay Arabs to leave Judea and Samaria. It's win/win for everyone. Judea and Samaria Arabs get the new life most of them want. For Israel, it's a one time investment with permanent returns.
16. to 11
john Darren ,   cairns-Australia   (09.26.11)
True.But Abbas is still alive,nu?
17. Abbas Unwilling To Recognize Israel's Right to Exist
Douglas Fireman ,   Chicago, USA   (09.26.11)
Abbas says that he will not recognize Israel's right to exist and gets a standing ovation at the UN from the Arab Nations. Just a bit of card staking, don't you think? Peaceful coexistence between Palestinians and Israelis requires mutual recognition.
18. in logic, a speech is just a speech..
Dketerstov ,   Israel   (09.26.11)
thats why opinions arent facts. What is a fact? well, lets say for example: after Rabin's death, and in order to promote peace, the ex pm Shimon Peres was suupose to talk over the oslo agreements doing a national referendum vote among israeli population. Ilogics is for example: if i tell you that A.Sharon created the political party kadima just to give another perspective to the israeli scenario, or arguing that theres no such thing as plo, considering that during the 90's Arafat changed the name of his political leadership because he didnt want to be associated to terrorist groups, so he named his goverment PA. Ilogical also could be a Sarkozy proposing a stand by... at the un, i mean as an obserrver, bah no wonder that Arafat gave speeches on the same stage. truth have one definition. cheerrs from Dketerstov and shana tova
19. #5. Speeches are all "Palestinian" leader will ever deliver.
Chaim ,   Israel   (09.26.11)
#5 Salma. You may as well enjoy Abbas' speeches. That's all Abbas, or any "Palestinian" leader will ever deliver. The same thing they've been delivering for more than 63 years. Palestine is forever fictional.
20. Abbas isn't a refugee from Safed, he's a fugitive...
Scott ,   USA   (09.28.11)
The Siege of Safed is well documented and does not The Arabs of Safed besieged their Jewish neighbors and their pathetically small garrison for weeks with the help of the Arab League's "Arab Liberation Army,' but failed to break them. When they lost, they panicked and ran. No one threatened them, no one went house to house ordering them to leave. They simply figured they would receive the same violence as they would have given. Fugitives, not refugees. They owe damages.
Back to article