Erekat denies apology to Israel in Geneva Initiative clip

Palestinian chief negotiator: Comments opposite of what he actually said; "I never intended to apologize, Israel are the ones who should apologize."

By JPOST.COM STAFF
Erekat 311 (photo credit: AP)
Erekat 311
(photo credit: AP)
Palestinian chief negotiator Saeb Erekat released a statement on Thursday in which he alleged that his televised address to Israelis asking that they be his "peace partner" was altered, according to a Palestinian news agency Ma'an report.
"Unfortunately, my statements were altered and interpreted as if I were apologizing to the Israeli nation. This is the opposite to what I said. I was speaking as a negotiator and I meant that, as Palestinian and Israeli negotiators, we hand been unable to come up with a solution after many years," Erekat said about the video promoting the Geneva Initiative.
He continued, "I never intended to apologize to the Israeli nation, they are the ones who should apologize for what they have done to the Palestinians and all the actions that have humiliated our nation. Palestinians are the nation who deserve an apology."
RELATED:Our World: Washington’s Israeli alliesNGOs launch campaigns ahead of talks'Hamas may accept a peace agreement with Israel'
On Wednesday Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad decided to remove his pictures from the campaign website, explaining that his permission had not been asked to use them.
Director-General of the Palestinian Geneva Initiative Nidal Foqaha told the Ma'an agency that "the video was intended to create a consensus with the Israeli public and then mobilize the leadership and create a real peace partner."