They want to be very, very clear about this whole "we'll never recognize Israel" thing. Personally I'm surprised. They seemed so hopey and changey to me:

As the Fatah movement prepares for its upcoming leadership convention, a senior group member says the event will be used to display Fatah's commitment to the armed struggle against Israel. Preparations for the convention, scheduled for August 4, are in full force at this time. During a series of preliminary meetings ahead of the event, senior Fatah official Rafik al-Natsheh said that the group will not be recognizing Israel.

'We will maintain the resistance option in all its forms and we will not recognize Israel," he said. "Not only don't we demand that anyone recognize Israel; we don't recognize Israel ourselves. However, the Palestinian Authority government is required to do it, or else it will not be able to serve the Palestinian people." "I am certain that we will hinder all the traitors who wish to remove the resistance option from the movement's charter," Natsheh added.

Amazing that the meeting that Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erakat took with Iranian thugs did nothing to temper the Palestinians' genocidal ambitions. And note the part about how they're only kidding about recognizing Israel because it "serves the Palestinian people." It's almost like how pro-Israel conservatives characterize their intentions, isn't it?

I can't wait to see what they do with those armored vehicles that Russia sent them. I doubt they'll actually use them against Israel. They already have so many US weapons that Abbas and Keith Dayton, the US general in charge of training and arming the Palestinians, have suggested might be turned on Israeli civilians. Why would they want to use Russian gear too?

Now I'm curious though: does anybody know if "armed struggle until the total annihilation of the Jewish State" falls under the "legitimate Palestinian aspirations" that the Obama administration says it "won't abandon?" I mean, these are the top leaders of the moderate Fatah party, Israel's partner in peace.

References and previously after the jump...

References:
* Senior Fatah official: We won't recognize Israel [YNet]
* Palestinian Negotiator In 1st Mtg With Iran Foreign Minister [Dow Jones Newswire]
* Report: Russia to send 50 armored vehicles to Palestinian Authority [Ha'aretz]
* Abbas: Good Chance We'll Use Our US Security Assistance To Go Back To Killing Israelis [MR]
* US Gen. Arming And Training Palestinian Troops: You Know, They Might Attack Israel [MR]
* 'U.S. won't abandon legitimate Palestinian aspirations' [Ha'aretz]

Previously:
* UN Palestinian Stooge: "It's Obvious" That Israeli Attack Violated 48-Hour Truce That No One Knew About Until Now
* Summer Camp Funtime For Palestinian Kids - Getting Brainwashed, Learning How To Launch Qassams (Plus: New Anti-Rocket Lasers)
* Obama's Anti-Israel Posture Undermining The Peace Process, Hardening Palestinian Demands