October 11, 2006: Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, addressing the Task Force on Palestine Inaugural Gala:
If peace and dignity are to prevail in the region, then it is absolutely essential for leaders to be able to show, for moderate leaders to show, that their ideas, and their principles, and their vision for the future can offer a better alternative than violence and terrorism. That is why President Bush asked me to travel last week to the Middle East – to confer with moderate voices, with moderate Arab governments and with moderate leaders, to build a support for those people who are trying and who need our help more than ever now, leaders like … most especially, of course, President Abbas in the Palestinian territories, from whom we have just heard.
January 11, 2007: President Mahmud Abbas, addressing a throng of 50,000 or more at the 42nd anniversary of the Fatah party after laying a wreath at the grave of Fatah founder Yasser Arafat:
[W]ith the will and determination of its sons, Fatah has and will continue. We will not give up our principles and we have said that rifles should be directed against the occupation…. We have a legitimate right to direct our guns against Israeli occupation….
Haaretz reports that the “Bush administration has asked Congress to authorize $86 million in military aid to boost security forces loyal to Abbas.” Meanwhile, Secretary Rice is now in Israel explaining how vital it is to the cause of peace that Israelis engage and support the moderate Abbas and his moderate Fatah.