Netanyahu criticises Abbas and claims Jerusalem is the "eternal capital of the Jews"

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has attacked President Mahmoud Abbas for his speech at the opening of the International Conference for Defending Jerusalem in Qatar. Abbas condemned Israel’s violations in the occupied city of Jerusalem, including illegal settlements and the country’s Judaisation policy.

Netanyahu’s office issued a statement immediately, calling the speech “harshly inflammatory … from someone who claims that he is bent on peace.” The statement continued: “Jerusalem has been the eternal capital of the Jewish People,” and added that, “Abu Mazen [Abbas] knows full well that there is no foundation to his contemptible remarks, including his baseless and irresponsible claims regarding the Al Aqsa Mosque. The State of Israel expects that one who supposedly champions peace would prepare his people for peace and coexistence and not disseminate lies and incitement. This is not how one makes peace.”

The head of the Palestinian Authority told the conference that the Israeli occupation authorities are accelerating their efforts and using the ugliest and most dangerous means to implement plans to erase the Arab Muslim and Christian character of Jerusalem.