This is a propitious time to connect the dots:

Dot No. 1 -- The July 12 announcement by the International Criminal Court in The Hague that it has added genocidal charges to its previous indictment of Sudanese dictator Omar Hassan al-Bashir for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur. The charges center on a systematic killing campaign which has claimed the lives of more than 300,000 civilians in Darfur, where scores of villages were burned and thousands of women were raped.

Dot No. 2 -- Last year's Arab League summit in Doha, Qatar, which warmly embraced the indicted Bashir and sought to quash implementation of his arrest warrant -- "We reiterate solidarity with Sudan and our rejection of the measure of the ICC against His Excellency," read the summit communique. The head of the Arab League, Amr Moussa, a fierce, vocal critic of Israel, joined the emir of Qatar in a chummy get-together over coffee with Bashir.

Dot No. 3 -- Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, a prominent summit participant, added his voice to the Arab League's acclaim of Bashir, declaring "We must take a decisive stance of solidarity alongside fraternal Sudan and President Omar al-Bashir."

Dot No. 4-- A few days ago (July 9), President Obama praised Mahmoud Abbas's "commitment to peace" and, in a telephone call to Ramallah, expressed strong support for his leadership. This was but the latest of many public declarations by Obama that Abbas is a genuine, reliable, trustworthy peace partner.

Dot No. 5--While Obama has been quick to criticize Israel for continuing to build in East Jerusalem, he has yet to murmur any public displeasure with Mahmoud Abbas for his stout solidarity with the butcher of Darfur.

Dot No. 6--While Mahmoud Abbas and the Arab League have rallied around fellow leader Bashir, Israel has provided a safe haven for hundreds of Darfur refugees.

QED -- No commentary necessary.

LEO RENNERT