Palestine's Abbas to punish officials criticising Arab leaders

Local and Arab media recently cited tension between Abbas and Arab states

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas delivers during his meeting with Palestinian senior leaders at the Presidency building in Ramallah, West Bank on December 18, 2017. ( Issam Rimawi – Anadolu Agency )

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Sunday threatened to punish any official criticising Arab leaders.

The official Wafa news agency said Abbas has reiterated rejection of “interfering in internal affairs of Arab countries or criticising any of their leaders.”

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Abbas said he will punish any member in the Palestinian leadership who criticises Arab leaders for “undermining Arab and Palestinian security,” Wafa said.

He praised support of Arab countries and their rejection of US President Donald Trump’s decision in December to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

It remains unclear the reason of Abbas’s statement, but local and Arab media recently cited tension between the Palestinian leader and Arab states, particularly Egypt and Saudi Arabia.

Jibril Rajoub, a member of Fatah’s Central Committee, has recently criticised Egypt’s handling of inter-Palestinian reconciliation talks between Fatah and its rival group Hamas.

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