Abbas to Israel: Make peace with us and 57 other nations will follow
The Palestinian Authority President says he does not want an intifada and wants to keep Jerusalem's holy places quiet.
By JPOST.COM STAFFPalestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.(photo credit: REUTERS)
Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas said that if Israel "makes peace," the rest of the Middle East will immediately begin diplomatic relations with Israel, during an interview with Israel's Channel 10 on Wednesday."I say to the people of Israel: If you make peace with us, we will come, as will 57 other Arab and Muslim countries that would immediately begin to recognize Israel and normalize relations."He responded to increasing violence in Jerusalem the past week as well as calls from Hamas encouraging a third, violent intifada."We do not want an intifada. We are not calling for an intifada," Abbas said. "I told the people 'These are our holy places and we want to keep them quiet.'"Abbas said that if he was to call for an intifada, it would have been while Operation Protective Edge was ongoing."Has Prime Minister Netanyahu has already forgotten that during those 50 days, not a single bullet was fired from the West Bank?"Abbas also responded to his decision to call for international help to make an emergency UN Security Council meeting, which will convene Wednesday night, regarding building in Jerusalem and over the Green Line, and rioting in Jerusalem."This is the Israeli government's propaganda. I went to the security council because where else could I go?"He called on Israeli citizens to request that the Israeli government "not miss this opportunity for peace because what surrounds us is even worse."
