The White House latest condemnation of the escalating violence in Jerusalem is akin to that issued by Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas. Both are talking from both sides of the mouth.
Last month Abbas encouraged the Palestinians to go the attack, saying: “We bless every drop of blood spilled for Jerusalem. This is clean and pure blood, blood that was spilled for God. It is Allah’s will that every martyr will go to heaven and every wounded [Palestinian attacker] will receive God’s reward.” Today, after a surge in Palestinian stabbing and stoning attacks on Israelis and rioting by Israeli Arabs, Abbas told the Israeli daily Haaretz: “I’m Not Inciting Violence, I Want to Restore Calm,” only to allege Israeli “‘aggression against the Al-Aqsa Mosque.’” However, the aggressors are Palestinian men, women and children and the victims are Israeli Jews.