Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the issue of diplomatic negotiations this morning at the start of the government meeting, linking the remarks to Holocaust Remembrance Day, which begins in the evening. "Hamas denies the Holocaust while attempting to create another Holocaust. It is with him that Abbas chose to make an alliance last week. We hope that he will walk away from this alliance and return to the path of peace.".
Last night, the Washington Post quoted Hamas as not ruling out the possibility of recognizing Israel, and in doing so, they joined Abu Mazen's statements yesterday, in his remarks at the opening of the Ashef Central Council meeting, that the government that is formed will act "in accordance with my policy and my instructions. I recognize Israel and it will recognize it.".
Regarding the Holocaust, the New York Times reported this morning that Abbas intends to issue an official statement in which he calls the Holocaust "the most heinous crime against humanity that has occurred in the modern era.".
A draft of a similar statement, which is to be published in the Palestinian news agency "Wafa", was obtained by the newspaper, in which Abu Mazen explains that "the Palestinian people, who have suffered injustice, oppression, and the denial of freedom and peace, are the first to demand the abolition of injustice and racism against other peoples who have been exposed to these crimes.".
Erekat: Israel has a government of extremists
Meanwhile, the head of the Palestinian negotiating team, Saeb Erekat, gave an interview to the Ynet news website and attacked Israel and the Netanyahu government for causing the recent developments: "We do not treat Hamas as a terrorist organization, Hamas is a political faction." Erekat made it clear that it is impossible to continue building settlements and at the same time express a commitment to the two-state solution. "Israel is not interested in the two-state solution, it is interested in a state of settlements," he said.
He said, "The only question presented to me by Tzipi Livni and Attorney Molcho was 'What will you do with Gaza?' I don't think we can make peace if the Israeli government continues its settlement policy. You can't wave an accusing finger when Israel continues to build in settlements. Abu Mazen was very clear in his speech. The Israeli government is a government of extremists.".
Erekat complains that "Israel does not accept the basic condition, to recognize a Palestinian state within the '67 borders. Can you show me the map of Israel? Can Netanyahu or anyone else show me the map of Israel and its borders? Where will the Palestinian state be located? It is Israel's insistence that is bringing the negotiations to an end.".
Don't change my narrative.
Erekat also referred to the unified Palestinian government and said: "We have already recognized the State of Israel, it is not up to us to recognize the State of Israel, it has never happened in history that one country was asked to define the borders of another country... You are asking me to change my narrative, to change my history. I am not asking you to change your narrative, do not ask me to change my narrative.".
On the subject of the Holocaust, Erekat said, "The Holocaust is the most evil chapter in the history of humanity. That's why we say 'Judaism is a holy religion,' 'Christianity is a holy religion,' 'Islam is a holy religion.' It was an evil act, to kill more than six million people and then go home and drink champagne and listen to Beethoven. The Palestinians must condemn it, and that's why we need the peace process.".
Livni: I don't like the term 'confirmation of murder', Ariel: It's a disgrace
Before entering the government meeting, several ministers, from both the right and the left, addressed the issue.
Housing Minister Uri Ariel commented on Abbas's statement that he changed his approach last night and promised to recognize the State of Israel, saying cynically: "When he speaks, then I will speak. In the meantime, he is silent, he has not spoken. This is a disgrace.".
Justice Minister Tzipi Livni, on the other hand, said that she "really dislikes the use of the term 'confirmation of killing' in the political context. I do not intend to participate in the process of burying something that is important to us and is an Israeli interest no less than theirs. Instead of declaring the death of the process, we should take care of our own lives. And just as I have strong criticism of the Palestinians, and I certainly will not conduct direct or indirect negotiations with Hamas, so our job is to find a way to gain an advantage with them and against them. That is our job. We have moved to a waiting position, the Palestinian government has not yet been established, and we will have to make our decisions accordingly.".
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