Palestinians ‘subjected to the terrorism of gangs of settlers’ in West Bank, Abbas tells United Nations
Jacob Magid is The Times of Israel's US bureau chief
NEW YORK — Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas highlights Israeli settler violence and settlement expansion in his speech to the UN General Assembly.
“The West Bank is under a daily and continuous Israeli aggression,” Abbas says.
“It is seeing vicious settlement activity. They’re building everywhere in Palestine, as if all of Palestine is theirs,” he claims.
West Bank Palestinians are “subjected to the terrorism of gangs of settlers under the patronage and support of the Israeli government and the occupying army, which destroys hundreds of houses in the lands of Palestine,” Abbas laments.
Turning to Jerusalem, the PA president says, “Our eternal capital, Al Quds, is being subjected to entrenched campaigns to change its nature — to Judaize it.”
He accuses Israel of violating the status quo at the Temple Mount, apparently referring to National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, as he claims that “a terrorist Israeli minister” has called for building a temple in the Al Aqsa Mosque.
“We must condemn and stop this reckless minister and those like him who want to set fire, a fire of religious conflict and strife that will burn everything in its way,” Abbas continues, claiming the Al Aqsa Mosque compound is the “exclusive property of Muslims,” negating Jewish claims to the site where the two ancient Temples once stood.