Oh, also? He thinks internationally-recognized terror group Hamas kidnapping an Israeli soldier is a good thing. And this guy is supposed to be the moderate pragmatist in the Palestinian leadership.

Mahmoud Abbas: “First of all, let me make something clear about the story of the ‘Jewish state.’

“They started talking to me about the ‘Jewish state’ only two years ago, discussing it with me at every opportunity, every forum I went to – Jewish or non-Jewish – asking: ‘What do you think about the “Jewish state”?’ I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: I will never recognize the Jewishness of the state, or a ‘Jewish state.’” [...]

Interviewer: “Don’t you think that it was the resistance that managed to liberate a thousand prisoners?

“Negotiations must always be accompanied by a measure of force. There can be no negotiations without resistance. This has been shown by the experience of people – in Ireland and all countries.”

Mahmoud Abbas: “That’s true, but our circumstances are different. We are not able to wage military resistance.

“Hamas kidnapped – or rather, captured – a soldier, and managed to keep him for five years, and that is a good thing.

“We don’t deny it. On the contrary, it’s a good thing that on a small strip of land, 40 × 7 kilometers, they were able to keep him and hide him.” [...]

The United States detaining or killing terror suspects caught waging or planning acts of terrorism against innocent people? EVIL.

An internationally-recognized terrorist group kidnapping an Israeli soldier, violating international law in its detention and use of him, and denying him basic rights for five years? Awesome.

Such is the mindset of the “moderate” Palestinian leadership. These are the people the United Nations wants us to recognize as being on equal footing internationally as Great Britain, Russia, or India. Take a good look.