Lieberman accuses Abbas of harming Palestinian economy

Israeli Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman attacked Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas saying that his “reign of corruption” harms the Palestinian economy, Haaretz reported yesterday.

Israeli military officials have recently met Palestinian officials on a number of occasions without the Abbas’s permission, Lieberman said.

“We have met dozens of economists and businessmen from the Palestinian Authority, and when you ask what is most important for the Palestinian economy, they all reply that the most important thing is to get rid of Abu Mazen,” Haaretz reported him saying, using a nickname for Abbas.

“He [Abbas] has imposed a reign of corruption that encompasses everything. He has people in every economic sector — in real estate, the fuel market and the communications market.”

Explaining more about how Abbas and his people are benefitting from the Palestinian economy, Lieberman said: “Abbas’ people take a tithe from every deal, and aside from the people in the inner circle, the PA leadership does not allow anyone there to develop economically.”

According to Lieberman, “that is why it is so important for him to go”, adding that “as long as Abbas is there, nothing will happen.”