Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh is making false charges that soldiers are spreading coronavirus in the West Bank, and the United Nations must condemn this incitement, Israeli Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon said Monday.
“At this time, despite Israel’s aid to the Palestinian Authority, we hear inciting comments coming from the Palestinian prime minister, who accuses IDF soldiers of spreading coronavirus to the PA,” he said. “There is no place for such senseless statements by the leadership of the PA. The UN must condemn these remarks.”
Danon issued a statement on the matter to the media after the UN Security Council held its meeting on the Middle East peace process by video conference.
At the meeting, UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Nickolay Mladenov spoke out against both Palestinian and Israeli incitement but did not mention Shtayyeh.
“Palestinian leaders continued to make inciteful and provocative statements,” he said. “Fatah’s official social-media pages glorified perpetrators of previous terror attacks against Israelis and displayed content encouraging children to carry out violence against Jews.”
“PA officials also delivered speeches praising perpetrators of attacks, denying Israel’s existence and denying the Jewish historic connection to Jerusalem,” Mladenov said. “Hamas officials encouraged attacks against Israelis in the West Bank and the launching of explosive devices using balloons from Gaza.”
Israeli officials “continued to make dangerous and discriminatory statements,” including with regard to annexing Area C of the West Bank, he said.
“An Israeli minister called for the toppling of the PA if it did not withdraw its claims against Israel at the International Criminal Court,” Mladenov said. “Some Israeli politicians also made a series of discriminatory statements against Israeli Arabs.”