Jerusalem Post: Abbas should stop belying Al-Jazeera papers and tell the truth

29 January 2011 - 20:30

News ID: 223397

The Jerusalem Post newspaper said de facto president Mahmoud Abbas should be honest and tell his people what he and his negotiators were doing instead of denying the leaked documents that were disclosed by Al-Jazeera satellite channel a few days ago.

NAZARETH (Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - The Jerusalem Post newspaper said de facto president Mahmoud Abbas should be honest and tell his people what he and his negotiators were doing instead of denying the leaked documents that were disclosed by Al-Jazeera satellite channel a few days ago.

Chief editor of the newspaper David Horovitz said the Palestinian people have now two choices in the wake of leaking confidential papers on the Palestinian-Israeli peace talks, either to stand up in the face of Abbas who admitted the return of refugees was illogical and inapplicable or to accuse negotiator Saeb Erekat of treason for expressing his willingness to reconsider the Palestinian insistence on the sovereignty over the Aqsa Mosque.

Horovitz added that the last choice needs a will from the Palestinians and a daring position from their leadership to recognize that the Jews have sovereign rights to the holy sites.

"At whatever personal risk, in the wider interests of his people and ours, Abbas could capitalize on the revelations from the Palestine Papers, and finally spell out to his people the compromises necessary for their independence. How ironic and how extraordinary it would be if the publication of texts designed to bring him down was instead utilized by Abbas to tell the Palestinians once and for all where their true interests lie, and to act upon them," the writer underlined.

Meanwhile, thousands of Palestinians from the 1948 occupied lands on Saturday evening participated in a massive rally in Baqat Al-Gharbiya town in support of the Palestinian rights and constants and against the concessions made by Abbas and his negotiators to the Israeli side.

A number of heads of political parties, Arab Knesset members, Islamic figures, especially Sheikh Ra'ed Salah attended the rally.

"Our presence in Baqat Al-Gharbiya town is part of our presence in Umm Al-Fahm, Nazareth, Aka, Haifa and Yaffa; this is the definition of our existence, and whoever disapproving that can leave us alone," Sheikh Salah stated in a speech during the rally.

Sheikh Salah also highlighted that the presence of the Israeli occupation in Jerusalem is illegal and the Jews have no right to one stone in this holy city, adding that the only just solution to the issue of Jerusalem is the departure of the occupation.

In this regard, Palestinian authority chief negotiator Saeb Erekat acknowledged once again the authenticity of the papers revealed by Al-Jazeera channel and declared the formation of a committee to investigate how such serious documents on PA-Israeli peace talks were leaked from his office.

Quds Press on Saturday quoted Erekat as saying that the leaks were not simple and a breach of national security, adding that he would be held accountable if it was proved that Al-Jazeera papers were from his office.