Palestinian officials would be hard put to find much that was new in the recent interview Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman gave to the Palestinian Al-Quds newspaper. They have long known that once he became defense minister Liberman did an about face, opting to handle Hamas with kid gloves, replacing his longstanding vows to bump off Ismail Haniyeh with conciliatory and soothing messages. Even messages along the lines of “if you stop arming yourselves and digging tunnels we’ll give you a port” tow the Israeli government’s traditional line.

What is striking in the interview is Liberman’s attempt to dictate to the Palestinian public who their leadership should be. Liberman repeatedly attacked PA President Abu Mazen as a “non-partner” and said it would not be possible to sign a permanent agreement with him. It’s worth mentioning here, perhaps, that this is the same Abbas whose security forces are responsible with every passing month for preventing attacks, safely extracting soldiers and civilians who wander into PA territory, and arresting members of Hamas and Islamic Jihad. True, Abbas isn’t fighting incitement and has no plans to do so. And yet let’s say Liberman is right and there is no one to talk to on the Palestinian side. The only thing the defense minister accomplishes with such lines is to strengthen Abu Mazen in the Palestinian street.

Read the article at The Times of Israel.