Palestinian Authority chairman Mahmoud Abbas on Wednesday sent a strong message to Israel and demanded that it end the "occupation" without delay, while pledging to continue the “resistance” until the liberation of all Palestinian lands is achieved.
Speaking at a meeting of the PA leadership in Ramallah, Abbas praised young Palestinian Arabs who led the resistance against Israel and emphasized the importance of Jerusalem in the Palestinian concept.
"Sisters, brothers, oh our people everywhere, you are strong and patient in the Gaza Strip, in Jerusalem, in the West Bank and everywhere. Jerusalem is a red line," he said.
"Jerusalem is the heart and soul of Palestine. There is no peace, security or stability except with the full liberation from the occupation and its return to the Palestinian people and the Arab and Islamic people," added the PA chairman.
"Jerusalem is the capital of the eternal state of Palestine, and we will not agree to an alternative in its place. We salute its people stationed there. We salute the heroic youth of Palestine who are the pride of the (Islamic) nation and the (Palestinian) people," said Abbas.
"Our people have spoken and we support them. We want a future without occupation, without aggression, without settlements and without settlers. The Israeli aggression has crossed all boundaries and violated all norms and international conventions, placing in front of us very difficult choices that are imposed on us, and it is a national duty and a moral to protect the holy places, our rights and our people."
In a direct reference to Israel, Abbas said, "The occupying state wants to impose a finished colonial fact on the city of Jerusalem and our homeland, and to that end it engages in insane war, war crimes and ethnic cleansing focused on the Palestinian presence and Arab-Islamic identity of our capital Jerusalem, by stealing houses and real estate and allowing the settlers and their terrorist groups to wreak havoc on the land and violate the religious holy places."
He also lavished praise for the fight in the Gaza Strip against Israel. "Here the despicable occupation continues the aggression against our people everywhere, including the aggression against our people in the strong and heroic Gaza Strip."
Abbas concluded his remarks with a direct message to Israel. "Finally, I send a message to the United States and Israel: Enough, leave us alone. Let us be ... we will be a thorn in your side, we will never leave our homeland, we will never leave our country, put an end today to your conquest of our country, today and not tomorrow ... We will stand firm more and more, until we achieve victory and the liberation and until we achieve the end of the occupation from all our occupied lands, especially Jerusalem."