Mahmoud Abbas
Mahmoud AbbasIssam Rimawi/Flash 90

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu slammed Palestinian Authority chairman Mahmoud Abbas’ over his attack against United States Ambassador to Israel David Friedman on Monday, during which the PA chief called the ambassador a ‘son of a dog’ and a ‘settler’.

Speaking at a special government meeting in the southern Israeli town of Dimona on Tuesday, Prime Minister Netanyahu attributed the Palestinian Authority’s leader outburst to the increasing unwillingness of the United States to accept PA intransigence and tacit support for terrorism.

"We heard Palestinian Authority Chairman Abu Mazen [Mahmoud Abbas] make outrageous, anti-American remarks," said Netanyahu.

"Something is happening here that has not happened in decades, perhaps it never happened since the Palestinian Authority was established: The American administration has stopped spoiling the Palestinians. It is demanding from them basic things that should have been demanded a long time ago: Recognize the State of Israel's right to exist, with the State of Israel being the national state of the Jewish people, stop supporting terrorism, and stop financing and encouraging terrorism."

"The Palestinians are in shock and like a spoiled child who has been spoiled for years, they are suddenly being told: 'Enough, no more.' And they are in shock and being in shock they are losing their senses and their truth is coming to light: They are not interested in dialogue and they are refusing to make peace."

Government meeting in Dimona
Government meeting in DimonaAmos Ben Gershom/GPO

On Monday, PA chief Mahmoud Abbas excoriated US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman, calling him a “son of a dog”.

“The United States legitimizes settlements," Abbas said during a meeting of senior PA leaders in Ramallah. "That's what American officials do, and at their head, in Tel Aviv, is David Friedman. He said, 'They're building on their own land.' The son of a dog, they're building on their own land? He himself is a settler, and his entire family are settlers."

The attack followed Friedman’s criticism of the PA over its failure to condemn a string of deadly terror attacks over the past few days that left three Israelis dead.

“Tragedy in Israel,” tweeted Friedman. “2 young soldiers, Netanel Kahalani and Ziv Daos, murdered in the North, and father of 4, Adiel Kolman, murdered in Jerusalem, by Palestinian terrorists.”

“Such brutality and no condemnation from the PA! I pray for the families and the wounded – so much sadness.”

Following Abbas’ verbal assault, Ambassador Friedman suggested the comments were anti-Semitic.

"Abu Mazen (Abbas) chose to respond. ... His response was to refer to me as the 'son of a dog.' Anti-Semitism, or political discourse? Not for me to judge. I'll leave that all up to you."

The 82-year-old PA leader has been accused of anti-Semitism in the past, including criticism of his degree thesis and subsequent book based on the thesis which called the mass-murder of six million Jews during the Holocaust as a “fantastic lie” and a “myth”.