wnyc.org / 93.9fm / am 820

I am listening to this segment. What distresses me, as a moderate-to-progressive Muslim living in the US, is that even on this show, one day we're worrying about Saudi Arabia, for example, as a place that is repressive and/or Wahabi-dominated...and the very next we're referring to them as "moderate Arab states"...

Sure he won an election that was boycotted by rival groups and his main rival in Fatah is in jail in Israel. But when the other groups didn't boycott the people showed who they supported. No one is going out in the streets showing support for Abbas not even in the West Bank. Not to mention Hamas won an election in which Fatah drew the rules and still lost, the US and Israel saw it coming b/c of all the corruption problems.

I laugh at the thought of the ultra-conservative Saudi government influencing the moderates of Fatah. Everywhere we see the Saudis go we see Islamic radicalism grow as well.

I do believe there is a lack of equality between Palestine and Israel. Its pretty much Israel and the US say what to do and Palestinians and Arabs follow along. Thats not necessarily in the best interest of their own people. Palestinians not Arabs have to demand that that a Palestinian state be equal to Israel and free of Israel's influence. They need to also declare their own state and not ask permission of Israel. I think if we can make the Palestinians feel that they have been made whole then the moderates will prevail. They in return have to give up on the right of return which I don't their leaders will make an issue again as it was the biggest mistake ever made in the plight of a people seeking freedom.

I don't understand the comments of Dee and Rebecca from New Haven. Abbas not elected? Of course he was inthe presidential election. Do I need to give a citation to a NY Times article or NPR report. And yes Makovsky is corect that Hamas won well under 50% of the popular vote. Again check back to any newspaper you trust from the period of the legislative election.

I am troubled by the tone of those comments as well as that of the first two callers. Makovsky is not a right wing ideologue. He is a reporter now at a think tank . Believe me I know ideologues and he is not one of them. But why the animus towards him? And why the sympathy in the comments above for Hamas, the Palestinian Moslem Brotherhood. See in today's Times how Jordan is dealing with its Moslem Brotherhood.

Hamas won with more than a 60% vote. Where is this 45% number coming from? And regardless, they are internationally recognized as having won, even by America - how can you have a coup d'etat under your own government?

I don't think Israel sees their West Bank counterparts as equals and don't respect the elected leaders of Palestine. Which bring another problem, what happens if Palestines reject Abbas and his deal? He has never been elected to represent them and therefore any deal he makes may be seen as not legit.

I may be too late, but it should be noted that Rice and Gates are in the Middle East to sell *weapons*. Weapons for peace, I guess.

Brian, don't let your guest get away with furthering propaganda on your show. Ahmadinejad *never* said that Israel should be wiped off the map - that has been mistranslated and taken out of context. He was quoting the late Ayatollah Khomenei, In Farsi, the actual quote was: "Imam ghoft een rezhim-e ishghalgar-e qods bayad az safheh-ye ruzgar mahv shavad." He is referring to the Israeli regime - NOT Israel itself. Call him out, please?

Of course,it should be noted that the Iranians have been opposed to the despotic regimes ruling most of its Arab neighbors since the revolution.