NASEER ARURI
Aruri is chancellor professor emeritus of political science at the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth. He said today: “The Abbas government, whose term in office has expired long ago, had succumbed to pressure being exerted by Israel and the U.S. to defer all discussion of the Goldstone report on the war crimes in Gaza until next March. The unprecedented Goldstone Committee report accuses Israel of having committed war crimes and crimes against humanity this past winter in Gaza.

“Nearly two weeks later, however, Abbas succumbed to a different kind of pressure, this time exerted by Palestinians, Arabs and various members of the UN Human Rights Council. A broad coalition has succeeded in getting Abbas to rescind his earlier position.

“Many have challenged the Palestinian Authority recently by saying if the PA is a failed structure, then some other body should assume the defense of the helpless people of Palestine; meanwhile the PA can disband and make room for another body to assume those responsibilities.”

For more information, contact at the Institute for Public Accuracy:
Sam Husseini, (202) 347-0020, or David Zupan, (541) 484-9167