http://www.jwire.com.au/featured-articles/cone-of-silence-envelopes-media-politicians/31443

As reported by the Director of the Israel Resource News Agency, David Bedein, the much vaunted “moderate” and erstwhile “peace partner”, Mahmoud Abbas, gave a very important speech via video link a week ago…writes Michael Kuttner.

He was addressing the adoring masses in Gaza who had gathered to celebrate the founding of Fatah otherwise known as the Palestine Liberation Organisation. The venue is significant because Gaza is ruled by Hamas which is dedicated to the murder of Jews and elimination of the Jewish State. The so called “moderate” Fatah which is the ruling party of the Palestinian Authority, currently masquerading as the fictitious State of Palestine, plans to unite with Hamas at which time no doubt the United Nations will declare that this new unified group is a peace partner and one to which Israel must talk and make suitable gestures.

What did Abbas include in his message of solidarity that deserves media attention? As reported, he spoke glowingly of the legacy of the infamous Mufti of Jerusalem who during the 1930’s instigated pogroms against the Jews of Palestine and who during his residence in Nazi Germany actively plotted a Final Solution to be carried out once his German friends had conquered the Allied armies. The “moderate” Abbas praised the Mufti as a great man whose ways should be emulated by all Palestinian Arabs. This amazing piece of advice which was part of a tribute to Fatah seems to have vanished from the media. Apart from The Israel Resource News Agency and Arutz Sheva which picked it up, this paean of praise for an unrepentant Nazi supporter, has been ignored by not only the media but also by Israeli & Jewish leaders.

David Bedein has asked President Shimon Peres for a comment. In view of the fact that Mr. Peres is on record as stating that Abbas is a genuine partner for peace, one would have expected a response which expressed horror and revulsion. Instead a cone of silence has descended over the Presidential residence and nary has a peep been heard. Likewise there have been no expressions of outrage from any other Israeli leader or politician of note. The Minister for Strategic Affairs thanked David for the information and so far that is as far as it has gone. Where is the outrage? Does this not call for a serious challenging of the international community’s embrace of the leader of the Palestinian Authority?

Where is the media in all this? Strangely silent it seems. Given the track record of many of them is it a case of sweeping inconvenient facts under the carpet lest it disturbs the prevailing political correctness which has been successfully peddled by those who see Israel guilty of all crimes and the Palestinian Arabs as angelic harbingers of peace? The delusionary mirage of a moderate Palestinian Arab leadership promoted by Mr. Peres and fellow dreamers of a new Middle East is surely shattered by this praise of Amin All-Husseini, a symbol of the unending hate towards Jews and the Jewish State. The problem of course is that there are those who despite the murder and maiming of thousands of Israelis since the failed Oslo Accords, still hallucinate that all we have to do is shrink back to the legally non existent borders of 1948 & 1967, divide Jerusalem and reward those who murder Jews in Israel, in order for brotherly love and genuine peace to miraculously arrive.

As long as there are politicians taking their lead from Mr. Peres there will always be a willing media ready to bury the inconvenient facts of continued incitement against us by the UN approved moderate Mr. Abbas and his friends. It is up to all those who are disgusted with this cone of silence to make their voices heard, in the media and by challenging Jewish leaders to speak out. Silence is not an option these days, especially given our experiences in the recent past.

Michael Kuttner is a Jewish New Zealander who for many years was actively involved with various communal organisations connected to Judaism and Israel. He now lives in Israel and works for The Israel Resource News Agency in Jerusalem.