A senior Israeli official says that one of the Palestinian Authority’s prinicpal security forces “was to the best of our knowledge involved” in the most recent terrorist attack at the Karni border crossing between Israel and Gaza. The Israelis add that newly elected P.A. president Mahmoud Abbas “knows who carried out the attack” and must take action before there can be negotations with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.

If Abbas were a moderate, he would take action. But he’s not a moderate. Maybe, however, he’s a pragmatist? My Scripps Howard column on this topic is here.