Palestinian Authority (PA) chairman Mahmoud Abbas claimed in an interview this week that he is a proponent of "peaceful resistance."
Abbas also said that he does not endorse armed resistance "now" but added that in the future, he may change his mind at "any moment."
The interview aired on December 7 on Al-Arabiya Network and translated by the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI).
The interviewer told the PA chairman in the interview, "Your motto is peaceful resistance" to which Abbas replied, "Yes, peaceful."
The interviewer then pressed Abbas and said, "I am really interested to talk about this point specifically, because I think that this might cause you some embarrassment, at least in international forums. Does it cause you embarrassment?"
Abbas replied, "I am describing a certain situation. I do not endorse armed resistance now."
When asked if that means he can change his mind, the PA chairman replied, "Of course, I can change my mind at any moment – tomorrow, or the day after tomorrow, whenever. Anything can change."
Abbas and his Fatah movement are constantly touted by the West as a “peace partner” for Israel, while their rival Hamas is denounced as a terrorist organization.
However, senior Fatah officials including Abbas himself regularly incite against Israel in official PA media outlets.
In addition, social media pages belonging to Fatah openly call for terrorism against Israelis.
PA cabinet leader Mohammad Shtayyeh recently met the father of the terrorist who carried out the attack on Dizengoff Street in Tel Aviv this past April. During the meeting, Shtayyeh lashed out at Israel and said it does not want peace.
Last November, Shtayyeh took advantage of his participation at the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) to attack Israel.
"Israel's colonial measures that target land, trees, and water resources call for an immediate cessation of these attacks. Around 2.5 million trees have been uprooted since 1967,” claimed Shtayyeh.
He also accused Israel of stealing 600 million cubic meters from the PA’s water reservoirs every year and of exhausting the resources of the Dead Sea, which threatens to dry it up.
"In cooperation with our international partners, Palestinians are making a great effort in wastewater treatment and renewable energy. For this to succeed, the Palestinian people must control their land and water along with their national and natural resources," claimed Shtayyeh.