Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas blasted the Trump administration Thursday over its one-sided support of Israel, saying the U.S. cannot be an honest broker for peace while it recognizes Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. During his address to the U.N. General Assembly, President Abbas also called out Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
President Mahmoud Abbas: “A week before the recent Israeli elections, Prime Minister Netanyahu came out to arrogantly announce that, should he prevail in the elections, he would annex and apply Israeli sovereignty to the Jordan Valley, the northern Dead Sea and Israel’s colonial settlements — despite the fact that all these areas are occupied Palestinian territory. We reject entirely and completely this plan.”
This week, Israel’s president threw Netanyahu a lifeline, giving the long-serving prime minister a chance to form a new government after last week’s election provided no clear winner.