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PA personalities
Mahmoud Abbas
PA personalities
Mahmoud Abbas
Abbas Zaki
Yasser Arafat
PA Mufti Muhammad Hussein
Ibrahim Mudayris
Mahmoud Al-Habbash
Ahmed Qurei
Salam Fayyad
Issa Karake
Jibril Rajoub
Mahmoud Abbas
Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) is the Chairman of the Palestinian Authority. Abbas worked very closely with Arafat during the years Arafat ruled the PA. Abbas was appointed by Arafat as Prime Minister in 2003, and was elected as Chairman of the PA in January 2005. This section documents statements made by Abbas.

In 2006, official PA radio and television stations were placed under the control of Abbas’s office [Ma’an News, Feb. 17, 2006]. Therefore, in addition to Abbas's own statements, it is important to examine the broadcasts and publications of official PA media which are documented on PMW's website. They are a reflection of the ideologies and messages that Abbas and other PA leaders and officials choose to disseminate to their people.
Topics on this page
1- Non-recognition of Israel
2- Glorifying terror and violence
3- Diplomacy and/or return to violence
4- Personal responsibility for terror
5- Contact with enemies of the West
6- Hate promotion
7- Abbas on Jerusalem
 


1- Non-recognition of Israel
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Abbas and PA leaders attend Fatah performance presenting Israel as "Palestine" 
Source: Palestinian TV (Fatah), Mar. 20, 2013
Palestinian singer at Fatah concert:
      "We commit and promise to stand behind you, oh Mahmoud Abbas, until Judgment Day. I am returning to you, the purest land, oh land of the free. No matter how long the nights of exile, I am returning to you, oh land. From Rafah to Rosh Hanikra (northern Israel) our coast, and Beit Shean (Israeli city). Above your soil, oh my land, is a picture of Garden of Eden. From Rafah to Rosh Hanikra our coast, and Beit Shean. Above your soil, oh my land, is a picture of Garden of Eden. From Rafah to Rosh Hanikra, north and south, are the picture's borders. From Haifa (Israeli city) and Tantura to the [Jordan] valley (i.e., all of Israel). I am returning to you, the purest land, oh land of the free."
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Note: This video has been broadcast dozens of times since 2011. To view the broadcast dates and the full list of Fatah officials in the audience, click "full article" below.
Abbas sends conflicting messages: All of Israel is "occupied" vs. areas under Israel since 1967 are "occupied" 
Source: Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Oct. 17, 2012
Two separate Facebook pages in the name of "President Abbas" posted two versions of the same letter written by Abbas. One letter defined all of Israel as "occupied lands," whereas the other letter defined the areas under Israel since 1967 as "occupied":

Mahmoud Abbas' Facebook page #1:

     "The [sought UN] recognition will not liberate the land the following day, but will prove that we are right that our land is occupied and not disputed territory, and this applies to all the territories that Israel occupied before June 1967 (i.e., all of Israel)." (emphasis added)
[Facebook page in the name of PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, Oct. 11, 2012
and partially reprinted in Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Oct. 17, 2012]

Mahmoud Abbas' Facebook page #2:

     "The [sought UN] recognition will not liberate the land the following day, but will prove that we are right that our land is occupied and not disputed territory, and this applies to all the territories that Israel occupied in June 1967." (emphasis added)
[PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas' official Facebook page, Oct. 10, 2012]
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Note: Click "full article" below to view the full letters.
 
Abbas wrote research papers claiming Zionism was a European “imperialist colonialist movement” 
Source: Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, July 27, 2011
     “Chairman of the Palestinian Authority Mahmoud Abbas raised this claim in the research papers he wrote, as testified by a professor of political science at Bir Zeit University, Dr. Samih Hamouda:
“Yesterday, the department of political science at Bir Zeit University, in cooperation with the Madar Center for Research, held a symposium… Professor Samih Hamouda, of the political science department at Bir Zeit University, presented an analysis of the research papers written by President Mahmoud Abbas on the subject of Zionist ideology. Prof. Hamouda said that in his writings and research, the President linked Zionism to imperialism by examining the reasons for the growth of Zionism, through scientific analysis of European society and the problem of the Jews in Europe, and linking this with the aspirations of the West in the Arabic East. He added, ‘In the President’s research, the Zionist movement is not Jewish, nor does it flow from the desires of the Jews themselves. Rather, it is an imperialist colonialist movement which sought to use the Jews and to enlist them to further the western colonialist plans.’”
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2- Glorifying terror and violence
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Jenin Governor speaking in Abbas' name: Terrorist Abu Jihad is "one of the giants and heroes" 
Source: Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Apr. 18, 2013
Headline: “District Governor of Jenin marks Prisoners’ Day and the anniversary of Abu Jihad’s Martyrdom death”
     “On Wednesday, [April 17, 2013] the Jenin district marked Palestinian Prisoners’ Day and the 25th anniversary of Abu Jihad’s Martyrdom death by organizing a mass rally in the Martyr Yasser Arafat Square in the city center.
District Governor of Jenin, Talal Dweikat, said in his speech on behalf of [PA Chairman] Mahmoud Abbas: ‘We are emphasizing the President’s words, he said that we are committed to the way of the Martyrs and prisoners until victory and until we gain our Palestinian country, whose capital is Jerusalem. Today, we mark Abu Jihad’s anniversary, one of the giants and heroes who wrote epics of bravery and on the anniversary of his Martyrdom death we see the thousands of fighters and prisoners who sacrificed for their homeland…’
Member of the PLO Executive Committee, Saleh Rafat, directed a salutation of honor and pride to the soul of Martyr Abu Jihad who played an important and historical role in leading the modern Palestinian revolution. In addition he saluted all the Martyrs, specifically the Martyrs of the prisoners’ movement.”
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Note: Abu Jihad was a founder of Fatah and deputy to Yasser Arafat. He headed the PLO terror organization's military wing and planned many deadly Fatah terror attacks, including the most lethal in Israeli history, the hijacking of a bus and killing of 37 civilians, 12 of them children.
Abbas representative visits home of imprisoned murderer to honor him 
Source: WAFA news agency, Mar. 13, 2013
     "This evening [March 13, 2013], Secretary-General of the President's [Mahmoud Abbas'] Office and member of the Fatah Central Committee, Tayeb Abd Al-Rahim, representing President Mahmoud Abbas , expressed condolences over the death of prisoner Mahmoud Salem Sarahne’s mother, who died yesterday… In addition, Abd Al-Rahim… visited the home of Bethlehem's most veteran prisoner, Issa Abd Rabbo (i.e., terrorist who killed two Israeli students). Abd Al-Rahim spoke with Issa's mother and conveyed President Abbas' and the Palestinian leadership's greetings to her. He expressed appreciation and praised her for standing strong and for what she has sacrificed throughout 30 years of waiting, coping and patience. Likewise, he praised the Deheisheh refugee camp and its sons and daughters. He described it as a national revolutionary school which has produced generations and heroes who were and still are a source of pride for Palestine... He turned to the prisoner's mother and said that the chains will certainly be broken and removed by virtue of the heroes' and mothers' willpower, and that the best of the Palestinian people's sons are in prison. He reminded her of what President Abbas has said on several occasions - that there will be no political solution with the occupation without the release of all the prisoners from the occupation's prisons..."
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Note: Mahmoud Salem Sarahne – Sent at least three suicide bombers who killed 16 Israelis in terror attacks in 2002.
Issa Abd Rabbo
– On October 22, 1984, Issa Abd Rabbo killed two Israeli university students, Ron Levi and Revital Seri, who were hiking south of Jerusalem. At gun point he tied them up, put bags over their heads and then shot and murdered both. He is serving two life sentences in an Israeli prison.

Abbas honors arch-terrorists on Fatah anniversary 
Source: PA TV Live, Dec. 31, 2012
The following is the excerpt of Abbas’ speech honoring terrorists: 
     Abbas: “Dear brothers. Today, we remember our Martyrs (Shahids). We remember the Sheikh of our Martyrs, Yasser Arafat. We remember Abu Jihad, Abu Iyad, Abu Said, Abu Ali Iyad, Abu Sabri, Omar Al-Qassem, Abu Ali Mustafa and Ahmed Yassin. We recall all these Martyrs.”

Note: Abu Jihad (Khalil Al-Wazir) - Founder of Fatah and deputy to Yasser Arafat. He headed the PLO terror organization's military wing and planned many deadly Fatah terror attacks, including the most lethal in Israeli history, the hijacking of a bus and killing of 37 civilians, 12 of them children.
Abu Iyad (Salah Khalaf) - Founder of Fatah and Head of the Black September terror group. Attacks he planned included the murder of two American diplomats, as well as the murders of 11 Israeli athletes at the Munich Olympics in 1972.
Abu Ali Iyad - He was appointed head of Fatah military operations in 1966, and was responsible for several terror attacks.
Omar Al-Qassem - He led a terror squad that crossed the Jordan River into Israel to carry out a terror attack in 1968. Caught by Israeli soldiers, the squad killed two soldiers. Al-Qassem was given two life sentences, and died in his prison cell 21 years later.
Abu Ali Mustafa - He was the General Secretary of the terror organization Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP). The PFLP planned and carried out numerous terror attacks against Israeli civilians since its founding in 1967 and throughout the Palestinian terror campaign between 2000- 2005 (the Intifada).
Ahmed Yassin - Founder and former head of the terrorist organization Hamas. The Hamas movement is responsible for numerous terror attacks and the deaths of hundreds of Israeli civilians.


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3- Diplomacy and/or return to violence
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Abbas: Resistance, including violence, is “determined at each stage by the national interest” 
Source: Palestinian TV (Fatah), May 14, 2012
Abbas speaks on Nakba Day:
     "Unfortunately, what was agreed in Doha [reconciliation between Fatah and Hamas] was opposed by senior Hamas members in Gaza, who prevented its implementation with groundless excuses. They [Hamas] preferred narrow party interests to the supreme national interest, using the word 'resistance' as if there was disagreement about it among Palestinians. I want to remind [them] that resistance to the occupation is a broad all-inclusive concept, with various means and tools, which are determined at each stage by the supreme national interest. It was we [Fatah] who initiated armed resistance for many years, and thanks to it, we obtained recognition of our rights, and [recognition] that the PLO is the legitimate and sole representative of the Palestinian people.”
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Abbas says he rejects armed struggle and wants peace in interview with German paper 
Source: Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Feb. 1, 2012
Headline: "Welcomed Irish representative, the Central Elections Committee, and a delegation of released prisoners – President [Abbas] to German newspaper: If the present situation continues, they'll be building a settlement in my office in Ramallah. Israel must hurry and bring about peace, because no-one knows what the Arab Spring will bring."
Interview with President Mahmoud Abbas
Die Zeit: "The Israelis doubt [Palestinian intentions] because rockets are still being fired on Israel from Gaza."
Abbas: "If there's reconciliation with Hamas, that front [southern Israel] will be quiet."
Die Zeit: "Are you able to commit to that?"
Abbas: "I commit myself to that. I have already shown, during the period of my presidency, that I fulfill my promises. During the past five years there has not been a single incident in the West Bank related to Israeli security. The Israeli politicians deny this, but the Israeli generals, and those responsible for intelligence, will tell you: We take our hat off to Abbas. He does excellent work!"
Die Zeit: "It is said that Netanyahu's government has no interest in talks. Why, then, are you continuing with negotiations?"
Abbas: "We have no choice. We will never return to the armed struggle! Never! There will be only non-violent resistance to the occupation."
Die Zeit: "Is that your conclusion from the blood-drenched second Intifada (i.e., the Palestinian terror campaign), which brought with it many suicide terror attacks between the years 2000-2005?"
Abbas: "Such a thing [the Intifada] must never be repeated. We want peace; therefore we must take responsibility for Israel's security: Five years without a single unfortunate incident! Why does the other side not understand this?..."
Fatah official: “If the Israeli side refuses peace, then all the options are open to our people” 
Source: Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Jan. 8, 2012
     "Member of the Fatah Central Committee, Jamal Muhaisen delivered greetings from the President [Abbas], the central committee and the revolutionary council… emphasized that our people and its leadership seek peace. He said, 'If the Israeli side refuses peace, then all the options are open to our people…' … Muhaisen addressed Israel, saying: 'We are a people that will not raise a white flag, because we are a fighting people. You have an opportunity to be part of the region. If not, your fate will be like the fate of all the invasions of Palestine, all of which ended in defeat.'"
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4- Personal responsibility for terror
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Abbas: “We tried… the Second Intifada” 
Source: Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Jan. 24, 2011
"[Abbas] emphasized that he supports the options that the Arabs will choose, and added: ‘I have said more than once that if the Arabs want war – we are with them. I cannot fight alone. We tried military action during the Second Intifada and during the attack on Gaza at the end of 2008 and the beginning of 2009, after the [Hamas] refusal to renew the ceasefire, and it brought destruction upon us. 25% of the homes in Gaza are still in ruins.’
He noted that he opposes military action and that he believes that popular operations resisting settlement and the [security] fence lead to clear positive results for the Palestinian cause. He noted that 50% of the participants in these demonstrations are Israelis, while 25% are foreigners.
He added: ‘We are determined to continue this activity, and we do not wish to turn to armed struggle, because our capabilities and the international atmosphere do not allow for it.'"
Abbas: "We tried the Intifada in 2000" 
Source: Al-Ayyam, Sept. 6, 2010
“We tried the Intifada (PA terror campaign, 2000-2005) in 2000, and it destroyed everything that we had built. If the Arabs would want to fight, we’d be the first to fight. I told them at the [Arab] Summit in Sirt [Libya]: ‘If you want war, take the lead.’ It’s not possible for us [Palestinians] to go ahead alone; they must be first, with us behind them. We shall not permit them to fight using us. One of them [Arab leaders] spoke about resistance. I said to him, ‘The Palestinian people is not interested in resistance. We, as the [National] Authority, are not interested in resistance, Hamas has abandoned resistance, they are preventing [launch of] rockets and they speak of a tahadiyeh [ceasefire]. Therefore, if he [the Arab leader] is interested in resistance, let him carry it out himself. Nothing is easier than raising a banner [that says], ‘Forward, men!’ And half an hour later we’ll get a slap in the face and find ourselves on the floor. It’s not possible for a responsible person to behave this way.”
Abbas: I shot first bullet against Israel 
Source: Al-Dustour (Jordan), Feb. 28, 2008
PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas:
     "I was honored to be the one to shoot the first bullet in 1965 [Fatah terror against Israel began in 1965], and having taught resistance to many in this area and around the world, defining it and when it is beneficial and when it is not... we had the honor of leading the resistance. We taught everyone what resistance is, including the Hezbollah, who were trained in our camps [i.e. PLO camps in the 60s and 70s]."
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5- Contact with enemies of the West
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PLO ambassador presents flowers on Abbas’ behalf to North Korean President 
Source: Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Apr. 17, 2012
Headline: "Bouquet of flowers in the name of the President [Abbas] to honor 100th birthday of the founder of North Korea"
     "Ambassador of the State of Palestine to North Korea, Nimr Ismail, presented a bouquet of flowers, on behalf of President Mahmoud Abbas, to President Kim Jong-Un. The bouquet was accepted by the Deputy Foreign Minister, in honor of the 100th anniversary of the birth of the country's founder, Kim Il-Sung.
An announcement published by the embassy yesterday said that Un, who accepted the bouquet at the [Foreign] Ministry's offices, thanked the President [Abbas] and said that this initiative greatly inspired the Korean people, and that it testified to the depth of the ties of friendship between the two peoples."
Abbas sends emissary to Beirut on death of Hezbollah religious leader 
Source: Palestinian TV (Fatah), July 11, 2010
     PA TV news host: “Azzam Al-Ahmad, member of the Fatah Central Committee, as the emissary of President Mahmoud Abbas, at the head of the PLO delegation, presented condolences in Beirut on behalf of the Palestinian leadership and people for the death of the late religious leader, Muhammad Hussein Fadlallah.”

Note: Fadlallah was on the U.S. list of wanted terrorists and one of his final acts included authorizing a fatwa (Islamic religious ruling) sanctioning suicide attacks on U.S. troops and Israel. In addition Al-Jazeera reported: "The CIA accused Fadlallah of responsibility for the bombing that destroyed the Marines' barracks near the Beirut airport in 1983, in which hundreds of U.S. soldiers were killed."
Abbas sends condolences to family of Hezbollah spiritual leader 
Source: Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, July 5, 2010
     "President Mahmoud Abbas yesterday sent a condolence telegram to the President of the Republic of Lebanon, Michel Suleiman, and to the Fadlallah family, on the death of the religious scholar Muhammad Hussein Fadlallah.
The President wrote in the telegram: 'As we convey to you, on behalf of our [Palestinian] people and on my personal behalf, sincere feelings of participating in your sorrow and condolences from your brothers, we ask of Allah, Who alone has the power and the ability, to cover your dearly deceased with His mercy and that he should rest in Paradise, and that He should fill your hearts with patience and comfort, your government, your people - who are brothers to us - and to his [Fadlallah's] family.'"

Note: Fadlallah was on the U.S. list of wanted terrorists and one of his final acts included authorizing a fatwa (Islamic religious ruling) sanctioning suicide attacks on U.S. troops and Israel. In addition Al-Jazeera reported: "The CIA accused Fadlallah of responsibility for the bombing that destroyed the Marines' barracks near the Beirut airport in 1983, in which hundreds of U.S. soldiers were killed."
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6- Hate promotion
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Abbas: Israel has a "policy of daily killing against our unarmed people" 
Source: Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Dec. 14, 2012
Headline: “President sends condolences on Martyrdom death of Muhammad Al-Salaymeh”
     “In a wire sent to the Al-Salaymeh family, President Mahmoud Abbas expressed his grief on hearing of the Martyrdom death of young Muhammad Al-Salaymeh, who was killed by occupation soldiers in the center of Hebron.
In his wire the President said: ’We were greatly pained to hear of the Martyrdom death of the young man and dear son Muhammad Ziyad Al-Salaymeh, who was murdered in cold blood by the despicable occupation army, and whose pure spirit went up to the heavens of praise.’
The President went on: ‘As we condemn and denounce this abominable crime, one of a series of crimes and part of the occupation army’s policy of daily killing against our unarmed people aimed at terrifying us, we express our faith that our nation standing strong in its homeland will continue to stand strong on its land, and that these crimes will not dissuade it from clinging to its rights, nor from its standing strong on the soil of its homeland, nor from its struggle for the freedom of our people and our holy places, and the establishment of its independent state, with Jerusalem as its capital.”

Note: Muhammad Al-Salaymeh was a 17-year old who was shot by an Israeli border policewoman when he pulled a metal toy pistol and pointed it at the head of an Israeli soldier in Hebron on December 12, 2012.
Abbas: The Israeli government’s "hobby" is "murder and destruction" 
Source: WAFA news agency, Dec. 12, 2012
     “The President’s [Abbas’] office today, Wednesday evening, condemned the occupation forces’ criminal killing of young Muhammad Al- Al-Salaymeh? who was shot near the Tareq Bin Ziyad School in Hebron.
[An announcement from the Presidency] went on to say, ’We in the Palestinian Authority denounce this aggressive act, and we hold the right-wing occupation government and its army fully responsible for this bloody escalation and racism, and all their consequences. It reinforces our belief that the extremist right-wing government in Israel is trying to drag the region into a new cycle of violence, so that it can pursue its hobby – murder and destruction.’
In its press release, the President’s office added, ‘The killing, destruction, and the settlements, and the bloody aggression of the right-wing government in Israel, make us more likely to turn to the International Criminal Court and its commissions, as well as to [other] international courts and organizations whose duty it is to protect civilians.’”

Note: Muhammad Al-Salaymeh? was a 17-year old who was shot by an Israeli border policewoman when he pulled a metal toy pistol and pointed it at the head of an Israeli soldier in Hebron on December 12, 2012.
Abbas: Israel's "aggressive and unfair war" in Gaza is meant to intensify Fatah-Hamas rift 
Source: Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Nov. 19, 2012
On Nov. 14, 2012, Israel launched an aerial offensive in the Gaza Strip called Operation Pillar of Defense, with the aim of crippling the terrorist infrastructure in Gaza and protecting Israeli civilians from Hamas rocket fire. Excerpt from Abbas' speech at the PA leadership's meeting on Nov. 18, 2012:
     "Israel continues its aggression for the fifth day in a row and threatens [to enter] a new phase of escalation of its military operation, something that will cause more destruction and bloodshed, and will increase the threat against the security and stability of the whole region... Through its aggressive and unfair war against our people in [the] Gaza [Strip], Israel is trying to strengthen the rift [between Fatah and Hamas] and deepen the separation between the two parts of the Palestinian homeland and soil. The Palestinian response to this aggression [should] first and foremost [be] to hurry and leave behind [us] the dark rift and restore the national unity... Besides the challenge of the aggression against Gaza, today the Palestinian people is facing additional challenges that are no less dangerous: the Judaization of Jerusalem, the expansion of the settlements and the continuous Israeli threats against the PLO in response to our UN petition [for non-member status]. Today we are all the more in need of Palestinian unity to face these challenges."
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7- Abbas on Jerusalem
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Abbas advisor: Israel implementing plan to build "alleged Temple in place of Al-Aqsa Mosque" 
Source: Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Sept. 13, 2012
     "Ahmed Al-Ruweidi, advisor on Jerusalem affairs to the Palestinian President's Office and an expert on Jerusalem… believes that execution of the demolition order in Silwan is the first step in implementing the project to build the alleged Temple in place of the Al-Aqsa Mosque."
Abbas promotes Jerusalem libels: Israel to destroy Al-Aqsa, rebuild Temple, and take over holy sites 
Source: Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Aug. 22, 2012
Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas:
     "'[The] purpose is to achieve its black goals: Destroying the Al-Aqsa Mosque, building the 'alleged Temple,' taking over the Muslim and Christian holy sites, and destroying its [Jerusalem's] institutions in order to empty it, uproot its residents, and continue its occupation and Judaization.'
Abbas' statement also said that all of Israel's archeological digs and tunnels... will not change the reality of the city... and will not create a [Jewish] right based on fantasy and legends. The statement ended... 'there will be no peace, security, or stability unless the occupation [Israel], its settlements and settlers will be evacuated from our holy city and the eternal capital of our state.'"
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Note: Abbas' statement was also published in WAFA (Palestinian News Agency) on Aug. 21, 2012.
Abbas: Israeli excavations under Al-Aqsa are meant to cause its collapse 
Source: Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Aug. 17, 2012
Headline: "[Abbas] calls for support for effort by Palestinian state to receive full membership in the UN – the President calls for an Islamic solidarity summit to support the multifaceted Palestinian strategy concerning Jerusalem"
     "[Abbas said]: 'Our brothers, Palestine is still afflicted by the despicable Israeli occupation, which has turned the day-to-day lives of our citizens into an unbearable hell, for Jerusalem is being Judaized and the excavations under the foundations of the [Al-Aqsa] Mosque continue, with the aim of causing its structure to collapse.'"
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Topics on this page
1- Non-recognition of Israel
2- Glorifying terror and violence
3- Diplomacy and/or return to violence
4- Personal responsibility for terror
5- Contact with enemies of the West
6- Hate promotion
7- Abbas on Jerusalem




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