LOWERING THE BAR FOR ABBAS

Lowering the Bar for Abbas: Reuters misrepresents the initial Palestinian obligation under the road map. (HonestReporting)

The 2003 'road map' agreement remains the critical document outlining each side's obligations toward peaceful resolution of the Mideast conflict. Stage one of the road map obligates the Palestinian Authority to commence "sustained, targeted, and effective operations aimed at confronting all those engaged in terror and dismantlement of terrorist capabilities and infrastructure."

By his own admission, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has not complied with this requirement, choosing instead to elicit a conditional cease-fire from the terrorist groups, and offering Hamas representation in the next PA government.

On the Israeli side, a recent government report indicated that Israel has also not yet fulfilled its road map obligations to end settlement activity and dismantle recently erected outposts.

But look what happens to the two sides' obligations in this March 28 Reuters report on EU criticism of Israeli settlement building:

Israel is supposed to halt all settlement activity in the first phase [of the road map], in return for security measures to end violence which new Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is implementing.

Reuters asserts that Abbas 'is implementing' Palestinian road map obligations, while Israel has failed to comply. Reuters thereby lowers the bar on Abbas' actual, all-important stage one obligation ― to dismantle the terrorist infrastructure.

Back in the Oslo Years (1991-2000), similar media maneuvers ― demanding strict and immediate Israeli compliance with commitments while creatively redefining simultaneous Palestinian obligations ― were one of the key reasons for the breakdown of understanding and descent to violence. If real progress is to be made this time around, the media must accurately represent both sides' official commitments.

Comments to Reuters: editor@reuters.com

Reuters isn't the only media outlet redefining the road map to assign blame solely upon Israel. A March 23 New York Times editorial heaped criticism on Ariel Sharon with no mention whatsoever of Mahmoud Abbas' non-compliance with the agreement.