They’re calling it an act of “appeasement”. Right.

“After weeks of heated debate over plans for an Islamic community center near Ground Zero – the site of the 9/11 attacks on New York – it seems Muslim leaders will soon back down, agreeing to move to a new site.

The decision follows a high-profile campaign against the project that included advertisements on New York buses showing images of the burning Twin Towers, an iconic landmark razed when al-Qaida terrorists flew packed passenger planes into them in 2001. The New York Republican party is also said to be planning a hostile television campaign.

Sources in New York said on Monday that Muslim religious and business leaders will announce plans to abandon the project in the next few days.

New York Governor David Patterson said last weekend that Muslim leaders had rejected outright his proposal tto swap the site in for another in Manhattan.

But several people familiar with the debate among New York’s Islamic activists now claim that the leaders are convinced abandoning the site is preferable to unleashing a wave of bitterness towards Muslims.

They also hope the move will be seen as a show of sensitivity to families of the victims of the 9/11 attacks, and to the American public generally.

Another factor in the apparent climbdown is a lack of funds to pay for construction of the center, estimated to cost a hundred million dollars. Backers hope moving it will lead to a wave of support, accompanied by cash donations.

It is also possible that the decision was also influenced by comments made by U.S. President Barack Obama on Sunday, in which he appeared to reverse an earlier show of support.”

Yeah, so Haaretz is just stabbing in the dark to come up with a reason. Let’s call it all of the above. Getting a nod of approval from Hamas didn’t help either.

Basically this would have been a disaster if they went through with it. Marches, adverse advertising, demonstrations and even riots would have ensued. Knowing the passion of the American people against the building of the mosque was so strong they had no choice.

In any case, if true it’s a victory for the families of 9/11.

UPDATE: Well I said, “If true”. Perhaps it’s not. Pam Geller with the info.

“Apparently Haaretz erroneously reported that Imam Rauf, Daisy Khan and the waiter Gamal had shown some mercy and would move the mosque. I never believed it for a second. They have yet to exhibit one scintilla of humanity.

What is interesting is their recent tweets. Look at the last one. They couldn’t help themselves: when a Jew is involved, their fangs come down. Islamic antisemitism.

Park51: Correction, we will be publishing an official twitter response to the Haaretz story and the Hamas comments.

Park51: Official: Reports by Haaretz are completely false. We are committed to plans of building Park 51 to serve the community of Lower Manhattan.

Park51: We are also deeply thankful to the President of the United States and the Mayor of New York City for their support.

Park51: Official: Hamas does not and will not speak for Park51. Our mission is one of peace, understanding, tolerance and faith.

Park51: On a side note, if Haaretz likes publishing fables, perhaps they could go back to the Yiddish ones with parables #welikethosebetter”

Ah you can sense the “peace, understanding and tolerance” in that last statement can’t you?

Well again we’ll.