PALESTINIAN DICTATOR MAHMOUD ABBAS GETS A FREE PASS

[Mosby]

Which “moderate” Arab president publicly hugged the genocidal leader of Sudan last week? Which Middle Eastern “reformer” just entered his 10th year of a four-year term? Which Western “ally” days ago ordered an investigation into a cartoonist for possibly drawing Mohammed?

The answer is Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

-Snip-

Under Abbas’s rule, the Palestinian Authority has arrested activists for Facebook posts and jailed atheists. Two weeks ago, a 22-year-old student was imprisoned for insulting the head of the Palestinian Football Federation. Torture is rampant and Abbas refuses to hold elections, even though his term expired six years ago.

-Snip-

Decades of propping up Palestinian dictators from Yasser Arafat to Mahmoud Abbas have not solved the problem of radicalism—they’ve actually strengthened it. An unelected strongman like Abbas will not defeat extremism by investigating cartoonists, jailing critics and censoring the Internet.

Despite the risks, the West should also demand that Palestinians hold elections. A leader must have a mandate from his people if he is be effective in anything. Dealing honestly with the results of elections is a better prescription for long-term change than allowing a dictator to rule unchecked forever.

Snip


http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/02/08/palestinian-dictator-mahmoud-abbas-gets-a-free-pass.html

[Agnosticsherbet]

1. Why do the Palastinian people put up with him?

That is a serious questions. Is it the threat of retaliation? Is it a policy of focusing Palestinian anger on someone else?

[Mosby]

2. I don't really know why

He's not very popular according to poll after poll, and I think the WB Palestinians could start protests demanding an election of some sort just like we've seen in other countries like Egypt and Tunesia.

He has a lot of clout in the Fatah party, though he has powerful rivals like Dahlan and others who are plotting against him as we speak.

So I suspect the primary reason is the fight against Israel focuses their frustrations away from their own "leaders" onto Israel and Jews in general.

[sabbat hunter]

3. In almost every

dictatorship, which lets face it that is what the PA/Abbas is, you need an enemy (whether real or imagined) to focus the people's hatred on, so they will not think about how much like crap their own government is treating them.

If Israel and the PA were to sign an agreement tomorrow, which gave the PA everything they wanted, who would the focus of the Palestinian's people hatred go towards? It would go to Abbas and the PA.