The Stupidest Thing I've Heard In Quite Some Time

I've been generally supportive of Mahmoud Abbas; I've always had the feeling he's fairly moderate and somebody who can be reasoned with when push comes to shove, but this is quite ridiculous. To encourage militants to give up their guns and obtain employment with the Palestinian Authority (a worthy goal), a point system has been established. So far, so good...but then there's this:

A high school diploma, for example, is worth eight points, while a year in an Israeli prison or on the run counts for two points each. Gunmen don't get credit for time served in Palestinian lockups, but they win extra points if they were wounded by Israeli army fire or had their homes demolished.

Notice the assumptions at play here: if you were on the run or imprisoned by the Israelis, you were just serving the cause; if you were imprisoned by the Palestinians, you're a criminal. Sometimes, parody is insufficient in the face of life itself...