After Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu accused PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) of “ethnic cleansing”, the PA leader responds. Mr. Netanyahu earlier this week spoke of the PA plan of having a Judenrein Palestinian state, stating unequivocally that the PA is guilty of ethnic cleansing.
Abu Mazen used the occasion of the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha, stating in his public remarks that to date, Israel has refused to budge a step and despite his readiness to resume diplomatic talks, PM Netanyahu is unwilling. He added that Netanyahu’s actions have resulted in Israel becoming politically isolated. “We don’t just launch trial balloons pertaining to peace but we take steps to carry it out” he stated.
He also accused Israel of damaging efforts towards peace by continuing settlements and damaging holy sites.
He added, “Before the holy days’ approach, poisonous winds are coming from Israel’s direction…”
US State Department spokeswoman Elizabeth Trudeau said at a briefing in Washington that PM Netanyahu’s message was “inappropriate and unhelpful.”
She added, “We obviously strongly disagree with the characterization that those who oppose settlement activity or view it as an obstacle to peace are somehow calling for ethnic cleansing of Jews from the West Bank. We believe that using that type of terminology is inappropriate and unhelpful”.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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2 Responses
hey abbas…you yourself said that there will be NO ISRAELIs in the future palastinian state, so what are you complaining about now?
What is it? …another 60+ days left of this administration. ..then we will be done -we hope! … with this do nothing president and all his anti-semetic cronies at the state department from the top down who have nothing on their agenda but to fault and blame Israel for every problem that’s out there…. hopefully we will be saying good riddance like real soon.