The rotten ABC has twisted the facts (again) reporting that Hamas RETALIATED against Israel! Just one more case of this ultra-Left, anti-West and anti-democracy organisation we pay for calling black white.

"I could list at least 5 people who Israel has directly intervened with to keep Abbas in the job. The top of that list would be Marwan Barghouti."

Sorry SR but its clear this is just another example of you shooting your mouth off and then trying to run for cover.

In the whole of the the West Bank, according to you, there's no one capable of taking over from Abbas. Its ridiculous on the face of it. What about Nasser al Qidwa...he's running against Abbas. As is Barghouti. That is if Abbas ever actually let's an election be held.

If Abbas wants out, rather than just saying he wants out, he'd hold elections, get defeated, and move on. There are plenty of other 'leaders' just as capable of screwing up as Abbas.

The penchant of yours of just blaming it all on the Jews is worrying. Are you aware the 'Protocols of the Elders of Zion' are fake?

Dear mhaze,

You really are a lightweight a lot of the time aren't you.

The Israelis put Marwan Barghouti out of Abbas's way 18 years ago. The bloke is still behind bars and will not likely be released even if he is successful at becoming president.

"Israel is unlikely to release Barghouti regardless of his political fortunes, and may refuse to engage with a leader it views as a terrorist."
http://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/imprisoned-palestinian-leader-marwan-barghouti-s-entry-shakes-planned-vote-n1262706

Nasser al Qidwa has the stench of Fatah corruption to contend with even though there is support coming from Marwan Barghouti's supporters led by Barghouti's wife.

But who can forget how punitive Israel and Abbas were when the elections in 2006 did not go their way.

"On 28 January 2006, Israel said it would prevent Hamas leaders, including newly elected PLC deputies, from travelling between the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. On 29 January, Ehud Olmert said that after Hamas sets up a Government, Israel would stop transferring to the PA custom duties and taxes it had collected on their behalf until it was satisfied that they would not end up in the hands of "terrorists". US Secretary of State Rice declared that "The United States wants other nations to cut off aid to a Hamas-led Palestinian Government, also ruling out any US financial assistance to a Hamas Government." On 17 February, one day before the new parliament was sworn in, the current Fatah-led government returned $50 million US aid that Washington did not want to come in the hands of the new government. The money was destined out for infrastructure projects in Gaza."
Wikipedia

Netanyahu's heavy-handed police force incited this last riot as has the illegal by international law, the annexing of occupied Palestinian land.

Netanyahu, who faces criminal corruption charges and the election of a possible new P.M., needed this conflict to concentrate the political opposition on it rather than replacing him. AS an incumbent P.M., likely to fare better in the courts than a recently deposed one? And that is the long and short of it.
Alan B.

The Palestinians will not accept a solution that enables the Jews to
remain in the Middle East.
The Israelis will only accept a solution the retains Israel.
It has been like that all the time, so how do you square that ?

There is only one solution, get rid of Islam.
Surprisingly there are moslems who want to rewrite the Koran as a
solution to their world wide problems. They understand the Koran is
why they have been at war for 1400 years.
To make such a suggestion is blasphemy and punishable with death.

While the ABC lies about who fired first, and sympathises with terrorists, Israel, even as it defends itself from Hamas terror, warns Palestinian civilians which buildings it is going to hit so that those civilians can get out of the way before it happens. The terrorists keep lobbing rockets into Israel indiscriminately. There is a vast difference between the two cultures and their respect for life.