Mahmoud Abbas: Jews caused Holocaust with their 'social behavior'

[DFW]

25. Great, a "modern" leader publicly holding prejudices from the legend of El Cid

"El Cantar de Mio Cid" mentions this prejudice concerning Jews, but it's from the 12th century. Well, if Islamists are stuck in the 12 century with this way of thinking, I guess it makes a certain kind of sense, but if Jews have moved on to, say, nine centuries later, the Palestinians aren't going to be playing much in the way of economic catch-up with people like Abbas leading them.

Now he may have had some reason to make the Hamas people in Gaza happy, and figured this would do the trick. However, Hamas and Gaza don't provide the aid funds that keep him and his people afloat, and trade with Israel brings those Palestinians that manage it a lot more than the lack of it does to those who do not. Making statements that date from the Middle Ages that were later used by the Nazis are not the way to encourage continued charity and understanding to the Palestinian cause from outside.

The Israelis will hear this and probably shrug their shoulders and say, "so what else is new?" As this plays right into the hands of Israel's hardliners, Netanyahu was probably doing the happy dance and saying, "shukhran Mahmoud!"