I’ve been reading news story after news story about Palestinian “president” Abu Mazen/Mahmoud Abbas’s statements about the Gaza pullout, and noticing a curious fact. Almost none of the news agencies are quoting Abu Mazen’s full statements; instead, they’re summarizing and quoting short phrases. Here’s an example: Abbas Pledges Better Future After Pullout.

Smiling and waving to a cheering crowd at the closed Gaza International Airport, Abbas said Israel’s departure was bringing “historic days of joy” to the Palestinians.

In his first major speech since Israel began pulling out on Monday, he promised that the airport, whose runways were destroyed by Israel in fighting in 2000, would again become a gateway for Palestinians — though that will require Israel’s blessing.

Abbas also pledged the Palestinian Authority would rebuild homes demolished by Israel during the past five years of conflict. He promised to reserve 5 percent of government jobs for the disabled, mainly war wounded.

He told the crowd that Israel was quitting Gaza because of Palestinian “sacrifices” and “patience,” and he promised the withdrawal would lead to further pullouts from the West Bank and Jerusalem.

Well, this sort of walking-on-eggshells quoting is a major red flag to me. The Palestinian propagandists at AP, AFP, and Reuters use this technique when there’s something they don’t want us to know.

And here it is, buried at Yahoo’s Asia News division: Abbas hails Gaza pullout as ‘fruit of sacrifice’. (Hat tip: NC.)

RAFAH, Gaza Strip (AFP) - Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas hailed Israel’s historic Gaza withdrawal as the result of Palestinian sacrifice, as Israeli forces moved out some of the last remaining Jewish settlers.

With the vast majority of the 21 Jewish settlements in Gaza evacuated, Abbas told a crowd of jubilant supporters that the ending of 38 years of Israeli occupation in the tiny territory was “the fruit of Palestinian sacrifice”.

“We want on this occasion to pay homage to our martyrs, to our prisoners, to our wounded and all those among our people who have made sacrifices,” he said.