Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas Rises Out of Arafat's Shadow?

Actually, from what I caught, Abbas' U.N. speech was indistinguishable from anything the PLO's pushed for decades. Worse, in fact, as he spoke of an "apartheid" regime, and that's a meme that's been developing only over the last few years, with the global communist left's BDS campaign. But check Atlanta Journal-Constitution, "With UN bid, Abbas rises out of Arafat's shadow":

RAMALLAH, West Bank — President Mahmoud Abbas received a hero's welcome Sunday from thousands of cheering, flag-waving Palestinians, having made a bid for United Nations recognition that appears destined to fail but has allowed him to finally step out of the shadow of his iconic predecessor Yasser Arafat.

The crowd, many of them holding posters of Abbas, repeatedly chanted his name as he spoke. Abbas was uncharacteristically animated, shaking his hands, waving to the audience and charming the crowd with references to "my brothers and sisters."

Abbas call Friday for the U.N. to recognize Palestinian independence has transformed him in the eyes of many Palestinians from gray bureaucrat to champion of their rights. Though Israel and the United States oppose the move and consider it a step back for long-stalled peace talks, it could help Abbas overcome internal struggles and gain the support he will need to get a deal through one day.

In a brief address outside his headquarters in Ramallah, Abbas told the crowd that a "Palestinian Spring" had been born, similar to the mass demonstrations sweeping the region in what has become known as the Arab Spring.

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