Mahmoud Abbas during meeting with journalists
Mahmoud Abbas during meeting with journalistsPhoto: Flash90

Palestinian Authority (PA) chairman Mahmoud Abbas met Monday with Arab-Israeli journalists in Ramallah.

Abbas asserted the Israeli government should ask itself "why a 13-year-old child is throwing stones and trying to hurt others?" 

"The answer," he argued, "is that these kids saw what happened in Duma with the Dawabshe family and the assassination of Abu Hadir. They are fed up. Give us the rights (to al-Aqsa) and everything will calm down. "

Regarding his meeting with the families of the terrorists, Abbas said, "These are the families of martyrs. What does Israel want? That I tell them to go to hell? That is not going to happen."

He also addressed the Sudanese national who stabbed an IDF soldier in Ashkelon on Sunday, charging, "Has Israel wondered the reason why people do such things?"

The PA chairman also expressed his objection to "all construction in the settlements (that) still persist in many places."

“Another question should be asked is why the government of Israel stopped the prisoner exchange in the middle of the deal? We do not have answers this non-acceptable move,” said Abbas.

“It is important that I point out that we refuse to even hear of the establishment of a Palestinian state without East Jerusalem. We will not recognize the Jewish State as long as it does not respect the agreements agreed upon. They cannot force us out. For we have a state that is recognized by 137 other countries."

Photo by Flash90