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Early last week, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas called upon the international community to stop Israel from placing the Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron and Rachel's Tomb in
Bethlehem on its list of national heritage sites.
He warned, further, that the decision by Israel could lead to a religious war. With such fulminations aired so carefully and bombastically in public, the rioting ensued immediately.
In Hebron and Jerusalem, Palestinian stone throwers were let loose and havoc ensued. As of this writing, dozens have been hurt on both sides. As recently as this past weekend Palestinians threw
rocks from the Temple Mount onto Jewish worshippers at the Western Wall below.
They were inspired to do so by the Friday sermon railing against the Jewish state wanting to include equally important Jewish holy shrines onto a list of Jewish heritage sites. Not surprisingly,
the clashes spread from the Temple Mount to the Old City and east Jerusalem.
There is no doubt the violence by the Palestinians has been orchestrated by politicians and eagerly joined by religious authorities.
Both Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Shimon Peres emphasized that the designation of the two sites as Jewish heritage sites entailed no new administrative arrangements or
altering of the administrative status quo. The Israeli leaders emphasized the designation was educational rather than administrative in nature.
But this was irrelevant to Abbas' dangerous demagogic manipulation of his people. His purpose had been achieved: to incite his proverbial ?man on the street' to violence, provoke an Israeli
response and point to the troubling Israeli behaviour as further proof of the impossible-to-deal-with Israeli hard line.
That U.S. Senator John Kerry, chairman of the U.S. Senate's foreign relations committee was visiting the region at the time of the clashes between Palestinian rock throwers and Israeli police was
a bonus for the duplicitous PA leader. He could whine up close and directly into the ear of the visiting American dignitary.
Kerry's departure from the area was quickly followed this past weekend by the arrival of U.S. special Middle East envoy, George Mitchell for talks with Netanyahu and Abbas. Abbas agreed last week
to indirect talks with Israel for a period of four months that would be mediated by Mitchell.
His remonstrations against the Israeli heritage sites announcement was his craven political cover with that ever-present Palestinian ?man on the street' for agreeing to the indirect talks with
Israel. To complete the triadic presence of American power brokers seeking to influence events in the area, U.S. Vice-President Joe Biden arrived in Israel on Monday, also to talk about the peace
process.
Abbas incites violence against Israel even as he acts as the hurt and injured victim pleading with important American interceders trying to get the peace process that he has self-servingly
stalled back on track. It is a dangerous double game that serves only to prove to most Israelis that he is not a trustworthy partner for peace.
