The Palestinian Authority on Wednesday reacted angrily to Foreign Minister
Avigdor Liberman’s remarks concerning President Mahmoud Abbas.
During a
meeting with his Australian counterpart, Bob Carr, Liberman on Tuesday was
quoted as saying that “there will be neither diplomatic progress nor an accord
with the Palestinians as long as [Abbas] remains in power.”
Liberman was
slamming Abbas for a letter the PA sent to the EU recently urging it not to
upgrade political and trade links with Israel.
Nabil Abu Rudaineh, a
spokesman for Abbas, said the Israeli government would have to bear the
dangerous repercussions of Liberman’s comments.
Abu Rudaineh said the
foreign minister’s statement was identical to statements former prime minister
Ariel Sharon made “in which he openly called for killing the late president
Yasser Arafat.”
“Liberman’s remarks expose a mindset that is interested
in killing the peace process and aggravating the conflict and wars,” the PA
spokesman said.
“We hold the Israeli government responsible for these
statements that are in violation of diplomatic norms.
Peace will not be
achieved as long as the likes of Liberman are in power in
Israel.”
Meanwhile, PA Prime Minister Salam Fayyad accused Israel of
working to undermine the efforts toward achieving a two-state
solution.
Fayyad, who was speaking to reporters during a tour of the
Hebron area in solidarity with villagers who have been served with
house-demolition orders by the IDF, warned that Israeli measures would
eventually lead to a one-state solution.
“There will be no solution or
peace, security and stability unless an independent Palestinian state with full
sovereignty on the 1967 borders [and] with east Jerusalem as its capital is
established,” Fayyad said.
“Our people want freedom from occupation.
Otherwise, the conflict will be only over equal rights in Israel – something our
people don’t want.”