Abbas blasts Trump during Iraq visit

The Palestinian president slammed the US administration during a visit to Baghdad to try to bolster ties with the current Iraqi regime.

By Associated Press and World Israel News Staff

On Monday, top Iraqi officials rallied behind embattled Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who condemned the Trump administration during a visit to Baghdad.

Abbas held talks with President Barham Saleh a day after he met with Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi. Both leaders trumpeted the importance to the Palestinian people of Jerusalem, which is the capital of Israel.

Abbas complained after meeting with Abdul-Mahdi, “[T]he current American administration is encouraging Israel to be a state above the law.”

Abbas added that the Trump administration “is biased and not suitable to be a sponsor of peace talks,” a common refrain that the Palestinian leader has repeated regularly during the past two years.

Currently, Abbas’ regime maintains a complete boycott of the Trump administration, refusing to meet with any U.S. officials or negotiate with the U.S. president’s special envoy to the Middle East, Jason Greenblatt.

On Sunday, the Palestinian Authority’s official daily newspaper referred to Greenblatt as “Mongoloid” an antiquated, derogatory term for people with Down syndrome.

Based on the Palestinian Authority’s decision to continue providing salaries to terrorists who murder Israeli civilians and Abbas’ refusal to engage in peace negotiations with Israel, the Trump administration has slashed hundreds of millions of dollars in annual aid to the Palestinians.

IraqMahmoud Abbas