Abbas: There is no Palestinian incitement, Israel “desecrate[s] the holy sites” and “ISIS is found among his (i.e., Jewish) people”
Headline: “The [PA] president: ‘We need to preserve the historic situation in the Al-Aqsa [Mosque], and the occupation opens the door to religious conflict’”
“President Mahmoud Abbas emphasized that the historic status quo in the Al-Aqsa Mosque must be preserved, and warned that if the occupation will continue to desecrate the holy sites, it will open the door to unwanted bitter religious conflict.
The president’s words were said during a joint press conference with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who unexpectedly went to Ramallah in an effort to calm the deteriorating situation in the Palestinian territories…
[Abbas said:] ‘Our people and our young are not interested in violence and escalation in the field, and I confirm this, and nobody is calling for incitement and hate…’ The president emphasized: ‘We wish to live in peace, security, and stability in our homeland with all our neighbors, and also with the Israelis.’ He reiterated and emphasized that our hands are still extended in peace based on justice, and the denial of our rights and the violence against our people will not benefit anyone.
The president said that it could be that there is still a chance for real peace based on the [resolutions of] international institutions, and stated: ‘We do not ask for more than what the international bodies have approved, and we adhere to it.’ Likewise, the president said that if the Palestinian people wins its independence in its state with the 1967 [borders], with its capital in East Jerusalem, the problem of refugees will be resolved according to [UN] resolution 194, and our prisoners will be released. This will be the most certain guarantee of security, peace, and stability in our region and in the world.’
The president added: ‘[Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu acquits Hitler of the Holocaust, and says that the one who caused it was [Mufti] Haj Amin Al-Husseini. He acquits Hitler from committing this crime, and blames Haj Amin Al-Husseini for this despicable crime against the Jews. This is a despicable and low way through which Netanyahu wants to change their history in order to blame Al-Husseini.’
Regarding the fact that Netanyahu described [PA President] Mahmoud Abbas as ‘ISIS’ (Islamic State), the president said: ‘We are against ISIS and all the terror in the world, and against the settler terrorists. ISIS and Al-Nusra are found among his people, and yet he calls us ISIS!’ And he continued: ‘We seek peace.’”
UN resolution 194 (Chapter 11, Dec. 11, 1948) states that "the refugees wishing to return to their homes and live at peace with their neighbors should be permitted to do so at the earliest practicable date, and that compensation should be paid for the property of those choosing not to return." Palestinian leaders argue this means that all Arabs who left Israel during the war (hundreds of thousands) and their descendants (a few million) have a "right of return" to Israel. Israel argues that the resolution only calls for a limited return and only under certain conditions, especially focusing on the words "wishing to return... and live at peace with their neighbors."
Haj Amin Al-Husseini - Grand Mufti of Jerusalem at the time of the British mandate, and spiritual and a political leader of the local Arab population. He strongly opposed Zionism and was behind riots and attacks on Jews. During World War II he actively collaborated with Nazi Germany, meeting Adolf Hitler personally and recruiting Muslims for the Nazi army.
“President Mahmoud Abbas emphasized that the historic status quo in the Al-Aqsa Mosque must be preserved, and warned that if the occupation will continue to desecrate the holy sites, it will open the door to unwanted bitter religious conflict.
The president’s words were said during a joint press conference with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who unexpectedly went to Ramallah in an effort to calm the deteriorating situation in the Palestinian territories…
[Abbas said:] ‘Our people and our young are not interested in violence and escalation in the field, and I confirm this, and nobody is calling for incitement and hate…’ The president emphasized: ‘We wish to live in peace, security, and stability in our homeland with all our neighbors, and also with the Israelis.’ He reiterated and emphasized that our hands are still extended in peace based on justice, and the denial of our rights and the violence against our people will not benefit anyone.
The president said that it could be that there is still a chance for real peace based on the [resolutions of] international institutions, and stated: ‘We do not ask for more than what the international bodies have approved, and we adhere to it.’ Likewise, the president said that if the Palestinian people wins its independence in its state with the 1967 [borders], with its capital in East Jerusalem, the problem of refugees will be resolved according to [UN] resolution 194, and our prisoners will be released. This will be the most certain guarantee of security, peace, and stability in our region and in the world.’
The president added: ‘[Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu acquits Hitler of the Holocaust, and says that the one who caused it was [Mufti] Haj Amin Al-Husseini. He acquits Hitler from committing this crime, and blames Haj Amin Al-Husseini for this despicable crime against the Jews. This is a despicable and low way through which Netanyahu wants to change their history in order to blame Al-Husseini.’
Regarding the fact that Netanyahu described [PA President] Mahmoud Abbas as ‘ISIS’ (Islamic State), the president said: ‘We are against ISIS and all the terror in the world, and against the settler terrorists. ISIS and Al-Nusra are found among his people, and yet he calls us ISIS!’ And he continued: ‘We seek peace.’”
UN resolution 194 (Chapter 11, Dec. 11, 1948) states that "the refugees wishing to return to their homes and live at peace with their neighbors should be permitted to do so at the earliest practicable date, and that compensation should be paid for the property of those choosing not to return." Palestinian leaders argue this means that all Arabs who left Israel during the war (hundreds of thousands) and their descendants (a few million) have a "right of return" to Israel. Israel argues that the resolution only calls for a limited return and only under certain conditions, especially focusing on the words "wishing to return... and live at peace with their neighbors."
Haj Amin Al-Husseini - Grand Mufti of Jerusalem at the time of the British mandate, and spiritual and a political leader of the local Arab population. He strongly opposed Zionism and was behind riots and attacks on Jews. During World War II he actively collaborated with Nazi Germany, meeting Adolf Hitler personally and recruiting Muslims for the Nazi army.