Israeli Foreign Affairs Ministry Blames Palestinian President’s ‘Incitement’ for Terror Attacks
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Chris Hondros/Getty Images(JERUSALEM) — After three terrorist attacks in less than two weeks, the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement on Thursday accusing Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas of instigating violence in the region.
The statement points to a Wednesday attack in which one man was killed and 14 injured when a Palestinian drove his van into crowds of Israelis, before attacking passersby with a metal pole. That attack, the Israeli MFA said, was “nearly identical” to one that took place about two weeks earlier. The ministry also notes the shooting of American-born Israeli Yehuda Glick on Oct. 29 and ongoing rioting on the Temple Mount.
“Israel places the highest value on freedom of religion and worship,” the statement reads. Despite Palestinian claims to the contrary, the Israeli MFA says it “has made no move to change the decades-old status-quo on the Temple Mount.”
“In contrast,” the MFA statement reads, “Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and his ‘unity government’ partner Hamas are operating to undermine the status quo-on the Temple Mount, inciting riots to enflame tensions.”
Calling the most recent terror incident “a direct result of the incitement by Abbas and his Hamas partners,” the MFA called on the international community to “strongly condemn Abbas’ incitement and call on the PA president to cease his encouragement of violence and terrorism.”
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