Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) has issued a call for Palestinians to refrain from internal fighting and turn their guns against Israel: Abbas: Aim guns against occupation. (Hat tip: LGF readers.)

“When Fatah was established, it was accused of treason and we were chased in every place,” Abbas told the crowd. “But with 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.”

Appealing to Palestinians to avoid civil war, Abbas said: “We are all one people regardless of differences of opinion. My top priority is to preserve national unitybecause Palestinian infighting and blood are a red line that must not be crossed.”

Defending his call to use weapons against Israel, he added: “We have a legitimate right to direct our guns against Israeli occupation. It is forbidden to use theseguns against Palestinians. The occupation has perpetrated brutal attacks in Jenin, Bet Hanun and Ramallah.”

Mainstream media keep insisting that Abbas represents the “moderate” side of the Palestinian leadership. And to maintain this fiction, evidence to the contrary must be ignored.

Case in point, this account of the same speech by Palestinian Associated Press writer Mohammed Daraghmeh, which makes no mention whatsoever of “moderate” Abbas’ call for attacks on Israel: Abbas calls for respect at Fatah rally.

RAMALLAH, West Bank - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas told a large rally of his Fatah movement Thursday that he won’t allow fighting with their Hamas rivals to continue and called on opposing factions to respect each other.

Thousands of Fatah supporters waved the movement’s yellow flags and chanted slogans against the Islamic Hamas group and its Iranian backers. Several Fatah activists briefly carried Abbas on their shoulders. “Go, go, until liberation,” they chanted. Others fired in the air.

The rally in the West Bank city of Ramallah was organized as a show of Fatah’s strength against Hamas — which is powerful in the Gaza Strip — but Abbas aides said the moderate Palestinian leader would also give coalition talks with Hamas another chance.