MK Ahmed Tibi
MK Ahmed TibiHadas Parush/Flash 90

MK Ahmed Tibi (Joint List) claimed on Friday that Palestinian Authority (PA) chairman Mahmoud Abbas was simply mistaken, not lying, when he declared in a speech earlier this week that Israel had “executed” a 13-year-old terrorist who stabbed and seriously wounded two Jews in Pisgat Ze’ev.

"Abu Mazen did not lie, he was mistaken," Tibi said in an interview on Channel 2 News’ Friday evening news magazine. "He confused the two boys who carried out the attack because his cousin was killed."

"He admitted that he was wrong," claimed Tibi. "He did not know he was alive and said he was dead. He saw a picture of a child bleeding. There hadn’t been a different picture at the time."

Abbas had accused Israel of "executing in cold blood" 13-year-old Ahmed Mansara, in a speech broadcast live last night on Palestinian Authority TV.

Israeli officials - including Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's office -immediately slammed the comments as "lies" and "incitement." Mansara is, in fact, very much alive, and is currently in police custody at an Israeli hospital, having been injured in the course of carrying out the vicious knife attack. Israel on Thursday circulated videos and photos of the teen to disprove Abbas’s lies.

Mansara’s cousin Mahmoud was killed by Israeli police after refusing to put down his weapon and instead charging at officers. The entire attack was recorded on CCTV cameras, and footage was released by police shortly after.

"Is it only forbidden for Abbas to make a mistake? The Prime Minister attacked the Balad party and said Arab MKs participate in demonstrations with ISIS banners. He is lying! Start a campaign against this lie of Netanyahu," Tibi said Friday.

"What causes a 13-year-old boy to stab another child? The Palestinians do not need someone to incite them," he continued. "The soldier at the checkpoint and the destruction of homes cause it. You occupy and humiliate them every day. Palestinians do not hate you because you are Jews, but because you are occupiers. You think that a people will give up its aspirations over social security and a salary at the end of the month?"

(Arutz Sheva’s North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Arutz Sheva articles, however, is Israeli time.)