There’s been plenty of rancor since President Trump declared Jerusalem to be the capital of Israel.  Some are saying his remarks have brought the peace process to a halt.

To such accusations I say, "what peace process?"

I submit that if anyone is guilty of why there is no peace process, it is none other than Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. Unless you are spelling it p-i-e-c-e. The record shows that rather than p-e-a-c-e with Israel, he wants to take it apart piece by piece until it doesn’t exist anymore. In order to present the case, I will lay out the evidence to the court of public opinion.

• Exhibit 1- Munich Olympics

Who will ever forget the 1972 Munich Olympics massacre where 11 Israeli athletes were held hostage by Arab terrorists and lost their lives.  The financier of the operation was Mahmoud Abbas.

• Exhibit 2- Holocaust Denial 

In 1982, he wrote his PhD thesis entitled: “The Other Side: The Secret Relationship Between Nazism and Zionism.” The topic was denial of the Holocaust. Such views are associated with anti-Semitism. Aside from Israel, 21 countries have made Holocaust denial a crime. The United States does not criminalize it.

In January 2005, he was elected to a four-year term as president of the Palestinian Authority. Here’s a short list of what’s taken place during his never-ending four-year term:

• Exhibit 3- Rejects Recognition of Jewish State

While several Israeli prime ministers, including Benjamin Netanyahu have acknowledged acceptance of a ‘Palestinian’ state, Abbas has repeatedly said he will never recognize Israel as a Jewish state.  Demanding recognition of a Palestinian state while rejecting Israel’s right to exist proves he is not serious about peace. Moreover, he has no business talking about a “just solution. Most recently Abbas challenged Israel’s right to be recognized as a state by the international community saying it is “invalid.”

• Exhibit 4- Right of Return

Abbas demands the “right of return,” for so-called “refugees” from the 1948 and 1967 wars, along with their descendants. Their numbers vary, but suffice to say this would eliminate the Jewish majority in Israel. Thus the only homeland the Jewish people have would cease to exist as such, and become the Middle East’s 23^rd Muslim Arab-dominated country while the Jews would have none.

• Exhibit 5- No Jews Allowed in Future Palestinian State

There are well over 1 million Arabs who live in Israel with full benefits of citizenship. They vote, own businesses, own property, are doctors, lawyers, professors, etc. They are elected to the Knesset and have even been members of the Supreme Court. They also have complete freedom of worship. There are mosques throughout Israel. Yet Abbas says not one Israeli [Jew], civilian or soldier will be tolerated in any future Palestinian state. Ironically, he’s accused Israel of being an ‘apartheid state.’

• Exhibit 6- Fatah Constitution

He is head of the Fatah Party. Their constitution calls for the destruction of Israel as a Jewish state.

For example-
Article 9: “liberating Palestine and protecting its holy places is an Arab, religious and human obligation.
Article 12: “complete liberation of Palestine, and eradication of Zionist economic, military, political and cultural existence.”

Can you imagine if Israel had similar statements regarding Arab Palestinians in its constitution? Where are the demands from world leaders and organizations for Fatah’s constitution to remove these statements?

• Exhibit 7- Terrorist Glorification

Abbas routinely praises terrorists who murdered Israeli civilians. Moreover, he names parks, schools and even children’s summer camps after them. By honoring these murderers they become elevated to ‘role model’ status.

• Exhibit 8- Murderers Earn Big Salaries

He provides large salaries for jailed terrorists who murdered Israeli Jews. The more heinous the crime, the larger the salary is. More than $1 billion dollars has been paid out to jailed terrorists over the past 4 years. Some get paid more than 5 times what the average Palestinian earns. Much of the money comes from U.S. taxpayers. He goes so far to say he will never stop paying them, thus rejecting a direct request by President Trump.

• Exhibit 9- Jerusalem

He claims Jerusalem as a Muslim city and says every drop of spilled Muslim blood is holy. He also says any Palestinian state must have ‘east’ Jerusalem as its capital, and rejects any Jewish historical connection to Jerusalem. By this, he is saying the Bible and documented history is incorrect.

• Exhibit 10- Israel Slapped in the Face at U.N.

On Nov. 29, 2012, Abbas spoke at the United Nations when “Palestine” was admitted as a ‘non-member observer.’ It’s interesting to note the date of his speech (Nov. 29) is the very same date the U.N. voted to approve resolution 181 in 1947, which partitioned two states, one Arab, one Jewish, resulting in the birth of modern Israel. I believe this event was specifically orchestrated as a slap in the face to Israel. Abbas, a glorifier of murderers, a Holocaust denier whose party’s own constitution calls for the destruction of Israel (a full U.N. member), received thunderous applause which included standing ovations.

• Exhibit 11- ‘Educating’ the Next Generation

If you believe the future may bring hope for peace don’t hold your breath. The next generation is being fully trained to take up the banner of destroying Israel.

In ‘Palestinian’ schools children are taught:

• Jews stole their land
• Jerusalem is theirs
• Haifa, Acre, Jaffa, Tiberius and other Israeli cities belong to them
• They must engage in armed jihad to kill the Jews, destroy Israel and take back ‘their’ land

Here’s a video about ‘Palestinian’ schools.

• Exhibit 12- Fatah Party Emblem

Finally, lest there be any doubt the goal of Abbas’s Fatah Party is to destroy Israel and replace it with a single Muslim state take a look at the party’s official emblem . Where are two states? There is no Israel. There is just one state called “Palestine” which covers the entire land area of Israel. Note the weaponry? If there is any doubt that their goal is the destruction of Israel through war, this emblem makes it perfectly clear.

There are additional exhibits points about Abbas, however this list provides more than enough evidence that Israel is not the reason why there is no peace agreement, or even a peace process. Mahmoud Abbas is fully committed to the elimination of the State of Israel. Whether its demise is economic, demographic, political or through force is irrelevant. Israel stands in the way of his goal which is a single Muslim state of Palestine. To that end he is fully committed. He alone is guilty of there being no peace process.

The end of the “peace process” begins with Mahmoud Abbas.

Ladies and gentlemen, the prosecution rests its case.

Dan Calic is a writer, history student and speaker. For more of his articles visit https://www.facebook.com/heartlandofthehomeland/