Netanyahu urges Abbas to 'stop paying murderers, use money to teach tolerance, not terror'
"Every Israeli and Palestinian child deserves a life of hope, of tranquility and opportunity," says Netanyahu.
By CORAL BRAUNUpdated: JULY 15, 2016 20:17Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu outlines '5 Steps for Peace'.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in a Facebook video Friday afternoon, urging the PA head to "hear his message" and take steps towards advocating peace and condemning terror.Netanyahu resorted to utilizing the Facebook platform as a means of reaching out to Abbas due to the PA head's refusal to meet and sit down for peace negotiations over the past several years.He outlined several measures which the PA head should take in order to "join the effort" in working towards peace.First, he asked that Abbas fire his advisor Sultan Abu al Einein, who publicly called to "slit the throat of every Israeli" - a call which served as a precursor to the murder of 13-year-old Hallel Yaffa Ariel in her Kiryat Arba home."I ask that you fire this advisor because advocating genocide is not consistent with peace," he said.Next, he asked Abbas to instruct his party's social media head to cease using such platforms as a public stage for praising murderers."Impressionable children read these posts. They should be taught harmony, not hate," Netanyahu said. "Such words seriously harm the chances of peace."Staying on par with his pro-peace, anti-terrorism stance, Netanyahu next urged Abbas to consider "honoring a champion of co-existence," by erecting a statue in his name, rather than in the name of terrorists such as Abu Sukar, who murdered 15 people by detonating a refrigerator filled with explosives on a busy Jerusalem street in 1975, for whom a monument will be dedicated next week.Such a move, Netanyahu explained, would "help educate future generations to love peace over war, compassion over violence," and work to "convince Israelis that they have a true partner for peace."Next, Netanyahu asked Abbas to cease the transfer of governmental monthly stipends to families of terrorists who murder Israelis.
"This money provides direct incentive to commit terror," Netanyahu said.Rather than funneling the money to a cause promoting a pro-terrorism agenda, Abbas should allocate it towards the funding of co-existence education, in order to teach tolerance, not terror.Netanyahu concluded his "five-steps for peace" speech saying that "every Israeli and Palestinian child deserves a life of hope, of tranquility and opportunity."He vowed to continue working ceaselessly to promote peace, and urged Abbas to join the effort.