ON THE PALESTINIAN ELECTION

Today the Palestinian's hold their first election since 1996 when the late terrorist Yasser Arafat was elected to lead the PA. That election was hardly democratic in the common sense, and though this won't exactly be a Western style election things do look a bit better in that department.

Abu Mazen, or Mahmoud Abbas as he's also called, is almost certain to win the election, which has been welcomed in many parts of the world - even in those that didn't realize that Mr Arafat was a through-and-through terrorist until he died. One often read that Mr Abbas is a moderate who opposed the intifada and who'll be a good partner in negotiations with Israel. For examples of this read this article in the Wall Street Journal.

But can this optimism in Mr Abbas will for peace really be justified? Is he the man so many thinks he is, and most of us would hope he is? I'm highly sceptical. If you, like Charles Krauthammer looks at what Mr Abbas says himself, rather than at what other people are saying about him, what emerges is a man who seems more like Arafat II than as a man of peace.

As Mr Krauthammer writes, on December 30 Mr Abbas said in a campaign speech that he would protect all terrorists from Israel. Two days later he said that he'd never crack down on Palestinian terrorism. Five days ago he referred to Israel as the "Zionist enemy".

His often referred opposition against the Intifada is not about means, but about timing. Terrorism isn't unacceptable - it's just not the best strategy right now, according to Mr Abbas. And regarding negotiations Mr Abbas view has so far been to not retreat an inch from demands of a return to the 1949 armistice lines, Jerusalem as a Palestinian capital only and right of return for all the refugees - not to the Palestinian state but to Israel.

Perhaps one could argue that he says all this to become more electable, and that - when in power - he'll try to force through a more moderate policy. But from a man who denies the Holocaust - why should we expect him to do that. With the words of Mr Krauthammer: "I'll believe it when I see it".

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