A prominent member of Fatah, the party controlled by the ruling Palestinian Authority, publicly praised suicide bombers last month and said "Fatah's rifles and people [are needed] more than ever, the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) reported Monday.

The comments by Gaza-based Fatah activist Ahmad Mansour Dughmush directly contradict PA President Mahmoud Abbas' statement last fall supporting "peaceful resistance."

Dughmush's comments were published Jan. 17 in a PLO-connected website, MEMRI reported. He mentioned a litany of suicide bombers and said the sanctity of their blood should not be "violated." He called on Fatah members to resist pressure to submit to the "dictates of the sons of Zion" (Israel) and its effort to "Judaize Arab land). "

"We must unite all Fatah forces for the sake of the movement, and recruit all leaders, field commanders, and activists to the defense of our national enterprise, our just cause and our people," he said. "We must encourage anyone who tries to sabotage Fatah's resources or achievements."

Abbas, in a November interview with Israel's Channel 2 said he favored diplomacy rather than terrorism to obtain his objectives.

"We don't want to use terror," Abbas said. "We don't want to use force. We don't want to use weapons. We want to use diplomacy. We want to use politics. We want to use negotiations. We want to use peaceful resistance. That's it."

But in a separate speech captured last month by MEMRI, Abbas praised dead terror leaders including Haj Muhammad Amin Al-Husseini, also known as "Hitler's mufti" for his support of the Nazi dictator during World War II.

Abbas has been criticized for issuing conflicting messages when addressing Western audience and when speaking to Palestinians. He should denounce Dughmush's incitement to prove he means what he tells Israelis and the West.