Abbas
AbbasFlash 90

The Palestinian Authority has doubled down in its attacks on US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman, now accusing Friedman of “anti-Semitism” against Arabs - ignoring the fact that anti-Semitism has always referred to hatred of Jews in particular, to the exclusion of others claiming to be “Semites.”

Watchdog Palestinian Media Watch cited official PA daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, which today, Wednesday, carried an article bearing the headline, "[PA] Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates: Friedman's positions are anti-Semitic and racist and disqualify him."

The article quoted “The [PA] Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates” as saying in a statement “that US Ambassador [to Israel] David Friedman's statements, positions, and hostile behavior towards the Palestinian people and its national rights and human rights constitute a blatant deviation from diplomacy and its conventions, the ugliest kind of anti-Semitism, and a scandalous violation of international law.

The quoted statement also accused Friedman of being “an ambassador of the settlers.”

“'From day to day Friedman proves that he is an ambassador of the settlers and their gangs. He holds the ideology and positions of the extremist right-wing in Israel, which are based on perpetuating the occupation and the settlement enterprise, on enmity towards the Palestinian people, and on negating its national and human existence.'"

The verbal attacks on the ambassador come days after PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas called Friedman the “son of a dog.”

Following a string of deadly terror attacks over the past week, Friedman had criticized the Palestinian Authority for failing to condemn the acts of terror.

“Tragedy in Israel,” tweeted Friedman on Monday. “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.”

Speaking in Ramallah later on Monday during a meeting of senior PA leaders, Abbas had said, “The United States legitimizes settlements.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."

Friedman subsequently suggested that Abbas’ 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," he said on Monday night during the Global Forum for Combating Anti-Semitism in Jerusalem.

On Tuesday, Prime Minister Netanyahu suggested that Abbas’ comments were the product of increasing unwillingness on the part of the US to condone PA support for terror.

"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,” Netanyahu said during a government meeting. “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."