Dr. Saeb Erekat on Netanyahu’s Incitement Against President Abbas

We strongly reject and condemn Mr. Netanyahu’s unfounded and inflammatory statement regarding yesterday’s incident in Occupied East Jerusalem.

Mr. Netanyahu declared that President Abbas’ “partners in government” were behind the act and that the President himself “only a few days ago incited towards a terrorist attack in Jerusalem.”

Mr. Netanyahu has no credibility left to lose, three weeks after he declared that the Obama administration was “against American values” and “anti-peace” for condemning his government’s approval of nearly 3,000 new settlement housing units in occupied East Jerusalem. But even by his standards, Mr. Netanyahu’s statement last tonight represents a dangerous new low.

By recklessly claiming that President Abbas is inciting terrorism, Mr. Netanyahu has turned his back on peace. He called the situation in East Jerusalem “intolerable” without mentioning his government’s recent provocations that have inflamed the political situation. He did not mention that over the past three weeks, extremist Israeli settlers funded by state-supported settler groups and escorted by Israeli police have seized 35 homes in the Palestinian neighborhood of Silwan. He did not mention his government’s approval of nearly 3,000 settlement units in and around East Jerusalem. He did not mention how Israel used the recent Jewish holidays as a pretense for tightening its grip on the al-Aqsa mosque compound. Israeli forces are denying ever greater numbers of Palestinians of their right to access and worship at al-Aqsa, forcing them to pray in the street, just as they have denied Palestinian Christians of their right of worship during Easter.

Mr. Netanyahu did not mention the surge in attacks by Jewish extremists on Palestinians in the Old City nor the attacks of these police-backed extremists, against Christian and Muslim Holy Sites. He did not mention the killing of 15-year old Muhammad Sinokrot, who was shot in the head by Israeli police while going to pray. And of course, he did not mention the kidnapping and brutal murder of 16-year old Muhammad Abu Khdeir by three Jewish extremists, responding to a campaign of hatred and incitement by Israeli politicians and public figures during Israel’s massacre in Gaza.

Mr. Netanyahu and his extremist government coalition continue to refuse the minimum requirements for peace, including acceptance of the two-state solution. Instead of pursuing peace, his government systematically violates international law in order to consolidate its Apartheid regime in Palestine. His stated plans to turn Jerusalem into an exclusive Jewish city violate several UN Security Council resolutions, including Resolutions 476 and 478, which declare the illegal Israeli annexation of East Jerusalem null and void.

We call upon the international community to respond to our call for international protection and uphold its commitments and obligations to save the prospects for peace based on the two-state solution. The international community must hold the Israeli government accountable for its violations of international law.

We regret all loss of life. At the same time we reiterate that the Israeli occupation of Palestine remains the main source of violence and instability in the region. Palestinian citizens continue to be oppressed, imprisoned, injured and killed by the occupation forces, with impunity and the full backing of the Israeli government.

Hereby we declare that Israel, the occupying power, and particularly Mr. Netanyahu are responsible for the current situation in Occupied East Jerusalem and throughout the Occupied State of Palestine.