“The time has come for President Abbas to choose between hateful rhetoric and concrete and practical efforts to improve the quality of life of his people,” Greenblatt stated.
By: United with Israel Staff
President Donald Trump’s special Mideast envoy, Jason Greenblatt, harshly criticized Palestinian Authority (PA) head Mahmoud Abbas for his vicious anti-Semitic remarks against US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman, saying that “the time has come for President Abbas to choose between hateful rhetoric” and peace.
In a speech Monday, Abbas pre-emptively rejected an expected White House peace proposal, while condemning Friedman’s close ties with Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria, describing him as a “son of a dog.”
Earlier Monday, Friedman condemned the Palestinian leadership for its silence in the wake of two deadly terror attacks – a car-ramming on Thursday in Samaria and a stabbing on Sunday in the Old City of Jerusalem – that claimed the lives of three Israelis. Another two were seriously wounded, one critically.
“The time has come for President Abbas to choose between hateful rhetoric and concrete and practical efforts to improve the quality of life of his people and lead them to peace and prosperity,” Greenblatt tweeted on Tuesday.
“Notwithstanding his highly inappropriate insults against members of the Trump administration, the latest iteration being his insult of my good friend and colleague Ambassador Friedman,” the US remains committed to “the Palestinian people and to the changes that must be implemented for peaceful coexistence,” Greenblatt added.
The US is “finalizing our plan for peace and we will advance it when circumstances are right,” Greenbaltt said, relating the plan the Palestinians have already rejected, site unseen.
Greenbaltt also posted his remarks in Arabic.
He has repeatedly criticized the Palestinians for investing in terrorism and hate, rather than growth and prosperity.
State Department Spokesperson Heather Nauert said Tuesday on Twitter, “We echo Jason Greenblatt’s statement. President Abbas’ comments were outrageous and unhelpful.”
“We urge the Palestinian Authority to focus on improving the lives of the Palestinian people and advancing the cause of peace,” she stated, while stressing, “The Administration remains fully committed to those goals.”