Abbas: “We shall not agree to a Jewish state”
From meeting between Abbas and a delegation from the Women’s Union in Ramallah, following publication of leaked documents concerning Israeli Palestinian negotiations by Al-Jazeera:
Mahmoud Abbas: “When some 120 Israeli figures came here, they said, ‘What’s your opinion concerning the Jewish state?’, and I said that we wouldn’t agree to it. We know what they mean by it, and therefore we shall not agree to a Jewish state…” One of their [Israeli] offers [during the negotiations] was that perhaps we would agree to territory and population exchanges, and they mentioned by name some villages in the Triangle [Israel region bordering West Bank with high Arab population]. However, [Israeli Arab] Member of the Israeli Parliament Muhammad Barakeh spoke out yesterday against them…
The Palestinian Authority… has stated that this is a red line, and it is impossible that we would agree to territory and population exchanges…
We emphasize that all residents inside the Green Line [Israeli Arabs] will remain inside. We shall not under any circumstances accept [into the Palestinian state] a single resident from inside the Green Line, and everyone knows why.”
Mahmoud Abbas: “When some 120 Israeli figures came here, they said, ‘What’s your opinion concerning the Jewish state?’, and I said that we wouldn’t agree to it. We know what they mean by it, and therefore we shall not agree to a Jewish state…” One of their [Israeli] offers [during the negotiations] was that perhaps we would agree to territory and population exchanges, and they mentioned by name some villages in the Triangle [Israel region bordering West Bank with high Arab population]. However, [Israeli Arab] Member of the Israeli Parliament Muhammad Barakeh spoke out yesterday against them…
The Palestinian Authority… has stated that this is a red line, and it is impossible that we would agree to territory and population exchanges…
We emphasize that all residents inside the Green Line [Israeli Arabs] will remain inside. We shall not under any circumstances accept [into the Palestinian state] a single resident from inside the Green Line, and everyone knows why.”