Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas sent a letter to PA Arabs on Saturday saying Israel must retreat to its 1949 borders or face war. “The passage of years... will not force us to abandon or surrender a single inch,” of Judea, Samaria or Jerusalem, Abbas said in the letter, which was published by PA media.

The letter was sent in honor of PA “Independence Day.” While the PA does not rule an independent country, it celebrates each year in honor of the PA having declared itself an independent entity 20 years ago.