No matter where one falls on the political spectrum one cannot dispute the fact that former Israeli statesman Shimon Peres made significant compromises to the Palestinians – highlighted in his involvement in the Oslo Accords (ex. Israel recognizing the former terrorist organization, the PLO, “as the representative of the Palestinians”). However, after his recent death it seems like prominent Palestinian leaders want to curse the man instead of at the very least offering their condolences. Sami Abu Zuhri, a Hamas spokesman, allegedly said to the AP:

“the Palestinian people are very happy at the passing of this criminal who caused their blood to shed.”

He added, “Shimon Peres was the last remaining Israeli official who founded the occupation, and his death is the end of a phase in the history of this occupation and the beginning of a new phase of weakness.”

It’s amazing how some individuals stand up for such a wretched terrorist organization like Hamas – such as the Council on Islamic-American Relations (CAIR), which usually does so indirectly. Apparently, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas sent a letter of sympathy to the family of Peres. Breitbart reports on the matter:

Abbas said Peres led the way to a “peace of the brave” with late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and prime minister Yitzhak Rabin.

Abbas said Peres “exerted persistent efforts to reach a just peace from the Oslo agreement until the final moments of his life.”

Abbas’ words seemed to contradict the messages conveyed in Palestinian Authority’s news agency, WAFA, which is under Abbas’ direct supervision. According to Ynet news, a short item on the former president’s death was published before being promptly removed. A new item was put in its place that documented Peres’ “aggression.”

In addition, Palestinian Media Watch records that Fayez Abbas, “PA TV’s Israeli affairs expert[,]” chose to defame Peres on Official PA TV the very day Peres died. Some of his despicable accusations against Peres included:

…He is also the spiritual father of all the wars against Arab states because he participated in all the wars…When he began to speak about peace, I believe he was deceiving the world… He essentially succeeded in convincing the world about Israel’s point of view, even though it occupies and kills – the crimes he committed in Lebanon could have led him to the International Criminal Court…

To make matters worse Fatah posted a picture of Peres on Facebook essentially damning him to Hell based upon a number of Palestinian grievances (picture below).

Could one imagine if a prominent Israeli leader like Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu offered such snide remarks toward a Palestinian leader like Abbas at his passing? Not only would the Palestinian media probably accuse Netanyahu of killing him, but there would also be riots in the streets.

All of these comments reveal that many Palestinian leaders are not only disrespectful but also that their greed and thirst for power disqualifies them from any kind of peace process. Peace for them comes through the destruction of Israel not through any type of negotiation. Where’s the Palestinian leadership that condemns blatant anti-Semitism instead of advocating for it? For example, Abbas promoted a “medieval anti-Semitic libel,” at the EU this past summer (Israeli rabbis wanting the government to poison Palestinian’s drinking water). Of all the accusations of Israelis dehumanizing Palestinians thrown out in the media by Palestinian/Arab leaders, Peres’ death shows it is the other way around – Palestinians who see Israeli Jews as less than human.