In a TV interview to a private channel on November 2, Mahmoud Abbas, President of Palestinian Authority shunned violence against Israel and declared that there will be no third Intifada till he is the President. He also said that Palestine for him is the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as the capital and that West Bank and Gaza are Palestine and everything else is Israel.
He also said in the TV channel interview that he did not intend to return to Safed (North Israel) where he was born to live but would only go there as a tourist. This remark has caused a lot of stir among the Palestinians and hundreds of them have come out to the streets in Gaza Strip to protest against Mahmoud shouting “out out Abu Mazen” as they feel that Abbas is conceding over the issue of right to return that will be a great catastrophe for the present and for countless Palestinian generations to come.
The remark has irked many Palestinians as they fear losing right to return to their former homes which they left during the six day war in 1967 resulting in the formation of the Jewish state.
However the remark has been hailed not only by the press but also from Israeli Nobel Laureate Shimon Peres who has called Mahmoud as “true partner for peace” for the daring public remark that is in line with thoughts and beliefs of most Israeli’s that support two nation theory and that Israel should extend its hand to a leader like Abbas with whom Israel has a real hope for peace.
According to Shimon, Abbas understands that the solution to the refugee problem will not be on Israeli territory and that his remarks hold great importance for peace to happen in the two states.
However, Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu is not convinced with the remarks from Abbas and says “there is no connection between the Palestinian Authority chairman’s statements and his actual actions” because Abbas has been refusing to renew negotiations with Israel for over four years despite a series of steps taken by him like unprecedented freeze over settlement construction and many more.
In addition to this, Abbas has also refused to discuss security arrangements needed to protect Israeli citizens and further in defiance to the U.S and Israel has even approached the UN to upgrade Palestinian position to the position of a non member state if not a member state.
