Mahmoud Abbas says Trump Must Choose: “Jerusalem is the Gate of Peace and War”

By Kelly Frazier --
18 Jan 2018 --

Kremlin.ru [CC BY 4.0], via Wikimedia Commons

The Palestinian President said the people of Palestine will only accept Jerusalem in its entirety

Mahmoud Abbas, the President of Palestinian Authority, restarted his verbal attacks on U.S. President Donald Trump[/tweetit] on January 17. He fiercely opposed the decision of the American president to recognize the ancient city of Jerusalem as Israel's capital. The Palestinian President cautioned that actions taken in this context could ignite a future war. He said that the city will be a gate of peace only if Jerusalem be made the capital of Palestine.

Mahmoud Abbas says Trump Must Choose: “Jerusalem is the Gate of Peace and War”[/tweetthis]

President Abbas reiterated that President Trump must choose between a peaceful Palestine and a city for instability, war, and insecurity. The former clarified that despite the Palestinian Authority's strident tone, the people of Palestine will not turn to terror to achieve their aims. Only diplomatic measures will be taken against the Israelis and the American government. Abbas warned although the struggle is done through peaceful means, this does not mean that the Palestinian authority will want peace at any price. He said that Palestinians want only about 22 percent of Palestine as mentioned in history. He was referring to Palestine as it was in 1967. What's worse, the Palestinian President said, even after knowing all this, Trump has declared the united Jerusalem city as Israel's capital metropolis. The Arab leader said Jerusalem can be regarded as a diamond in the Palestinian crown.

President Abbas warned no Palestinian will compromise on the issue of Jerusalem. He went on to say that Trump cannot be regarded as a person who can be trusted. He pointed out that Trump has changed the previous U.S. policy pursued by his predecessors. The Palestinian leader said that it is impossible to trust a government which changes stance with every successive president. This kind of authority could not mediate between Palestine and Israel. The president said that such a government cannot be trusted. Palestine thus does not accept the U.S. as a mediating authority.

Trump already chose. So u better gear up, Abbas.
— Simon Fenn (@theophimon2) January 18, 2018

President Abbas claimed that the Palestinians have resided in this region for generations. He harked back to the Canaanites who constructed the first building blocks of the city. The head of the Palestinian Authority said that the modern Palestinian's ancestry can be traced back to these original founders of the city. Post Trump's speech on December 6, Abbas declared that the United States could no longer function as peace-broker. He also asked for a boycott of Trump administration.