Abbas's Empty Bombshell at the UN

"Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has finally dropped his long-awaited bombshell at the United Nations General Assembly, but it turns out that the bombshell is not as serious as many thought. It's a bombshell that makes much noise and little damage.

Abbas did not announce his resignation or the dismantlement of the Palestinian Authority, as many predicted he would do. Such a move would have been considered a real bombshell.

Instead, he repeated his old threat to abandon signed accords with Israel 'as long as Israel refuses to commit to the agreements with us.'...

He did not dissolve the Palestinian Authority and 'return the keys' to Israel. He did not even go as far as suspending security coordination with Israel – without which the Palestinian Authority would not be able to survive in the West Bank.

In short, Abbas did not close all doors with Israel. He put the pistol on the table instead of firing it. His message to Israel and the rest of the world: Next time I won't hesitate to use the pistol if I don't get everything I want.

For now, it's clear that Abbas's speech is not going to change anything on the ground. Abbas is going nowhere, and so is the Palestinian Authority..."