During a visit with Lebanese officials, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas officially affirms the right of Palestinians to return to their traditional homeland in Israel.

On a related note, I’m officially affirming my right to drink amaretto stone sours while driving 100 MPH on the Kennedy Expressway while doing lines of coke off my dashboard.

What’s that you say? Nothing I say actually means shit? Maybe Abbas and I have more in common than I thought.

Abbas said all Palestinians should have the right to return home.

When it comes to armed Palestinian factions, however, Abbas said he supports any decisions the Lebanese government makes on how to deal with militants outside refugee camps.

Abbas spoke to reporters Thursday in Lebanon’s capital, Beirut.

About 400,000 Palestinian refugees and their descendants live in a dozen refugee camps in Lebanon, which were set up when Israel was created in 1948.

Many Lebanese also oppose the permanent resettlement of Palestinian refugees, fearing they would tip the country’s delicate sectarian balance.

Glad that problem’s taken care of.  Now where’s my refill?

The United States has placed pressure (for some time now) on Israeli authorities to supply body armor to Palestinian Authority security forces. The P.A., led by Mahmoud Abbas, has enjoyed U.S. support over the other ruling terrorist parties, Hamas and Fatah.

Israel has acceded to a long-standing United States request to allow Palestinian Authority (PA) security forces to wear flak jackets, but has rejected a model that would include stronger body armor that can repel fire from M-16 rifles. The IDF has feared that advanced flak jackets will fall into the hands of terrorists, who previously have obtained thousands of rifles Israel gave to the PA and then used them to attack Israelis.

Maybe it reads as deliberately cruel to western nations for Israel to intentionally supply body armor vests that won’t stop a bullet from an Israeli rifle.  But it’s a fair compromise when considering…..

“They’re getting the same flak jackets that police get in the United States,” an official told Reuters News Agency. “The protection they are receiving from these vests is adequate to the task.” They are strong enough to defend against Kalashnikovs, the Soviet-designed rifles commonly used in the PA.

It’s perfectly logical to assume that these vests will eventually make their way to terrorists opperating in Gaza and the West Bank.  It seems idiotic that Israel should (essentially) supply body armor that will be used against them.

UPDATE: I initially failed to notice that the body armor for the Palestinian Authority was paid for by U.S tax payers. That tastes pretty good in your mouth, doesn’t it?

The United States is paying for body armor, giving them to the Palestinian Authority who will in turn “lose” them to terrorists which will eventually be commissioned against Israel.    Left hand, let me introduce you to right hand.