‘No longer relevant’: Israel dismisses Abbas’ threats at UN

Israel has one year to withdraw from “the Palestinian territory it occupied in 1967,” Palestinian Authority head Mahmoud Abbas said during his address to the UN. 

By Aryeh Savir/TPS

Israel dismissed Palestinian Authority (PA) head Mahmoud Abbas’ threats he made against the Jewish state at the United Nations and pointed out that Abbas “proved once again that he is no longer relevant.”

Abbas addressed the UN General Assembly’s 76th session in a recorded clip and threatened that Israel, has one year to withdraw from “the Palestinian territory it occupied in 1967,” including eastern Jerusalem, and without this condition being met, “the Palestinian recognition of Israel on the 1967 borders might be questionable.”

Judea and Samaria were under Jordanian control in 1967. And were never “Palestinian territory” at any point in history.

Abbas further threatened that the Palestinians “will go to the International Court of Justice as the supreme international judicial body, on the issue of the legality of the occupation of the land of the Palestinian state.”

Abbas made the threats just weeks after meeting with Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz.

Israel’s Ambassador to the US and the UN Gilad Erdan stated in response that “In his speech at the UN, Abu Mazen [Abbas] proved once again that he is no longer relevant. It is no coincidence that 80% of Palestinians want him to leave his position.”

A poll published by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research (PSR) shows a “significant increase” in the demand for Abbas’ resignation, with almost 80% making the demand, an unprecedented finding.

“He once offered to sue the United Kingdom over the Balfour Declaration. Today, he wants to return to the UN Partition Plan. But most important of all, he lied about the Palestinians refusal to make peace. Those who truly support peace and negotiations do not threaten delusional ultimatums from the UN platform as he did in his speech,” said Erdan.