In his speech on Wednesday Abbas cited continual Israeli violations of the 20-year-old accords, including non-stop Israeli settlement of land the Palestinians claim for their hoped-for state, for his decision to no longer feel bound by the political and security agreements.
Advertisement
“The Israeli government has said it is willing to sit down with Abbas without preconditions”.
On Thursday, he urged his audience to “stand with Israel as we check the fanaticism at our door”, adding: “More than ever, Israel is defending you”.
Because I remain committed to a vision of two states for two peoples, in which a demilitarized Palestinian state recognizes the Jewish State, he said.
Add to that, the Israeli government collects millions of dollars in taxation revenue on behalf of the Palestinian Authority in an arrangement detailed in the accords.
Dore Gold, Israel’s Foreign Ministry director, said in an interview reported in the New York Times, “Israel does uphold its agreements”.
It wasn’t clear how serious Abbas’s threat was – he has often expressed anger about Israel’s actions concerning Palestinian territory – and he mentioned no timeline or deadline for dissolving the Palestinian Authority or refusing to cooperate with Israel in the future.
Netanyahu described Israeli-U.S. bickering over the deal as “a disagreement within the family”, and the United States also downplayed any lasting effects of the fallout over an agreement that Washington praises and Israel condemns.
Netanyahu also mentioned Iranian support for the Houthis in Yemen, the Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon and Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
The ceremony was attended by the President of the Palestinian Authority Mahmoud Abbas. Abbas’ speech reflected growing Palestinian frustration and appeared aimed at focusing the attention of the international community – busy with the Syrian civil war and the migrants’ crisis in Europe – on the long-festering Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Former U.S. Middle East peace negotiator Aaron David Miller told CNN that the passage of the speech about the constraints on Iran was “curious” and a new development. President Abbas, I know its not easy.
He said, You think Iran is doing that to advance peace?
He said, I know its hard.
The Yesha Council is the umbrella organisation governing illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank.
Advertisement
“Our hearts go out to the families of the Israelis who have been lost”, Kerry said. “We will not accept temporary solutions or a fragmented state”.
