RAMALLAH, Palestinian Territories —
Palestinian President
Mahmoud Abbas criticized Sunday the West’s “double
standards” that he said penalized Russia over its invasion of Ukraine while
ignoring Israel’s “crimes” against the Palestinians.
اضافة اعلان
Abbas voiced his frustration to visiting US
Secretary of State
Antony Blinken in a press briefing with reporters at the
Palestinian presidential residence in the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah.
“The current events in Europe have shown blatant
double standards,” he told Blinken.
“Despite the crimes of the Israeli occupation that
amounted to ethnic cleansing and racial discrimination ... we find no one who
is holding Israel responsible for behaving as a state above the law,” he said.
Blinken held talks with Abbas on the first full day
of a trip that includes a meeting with the foreign ministers of Israel and four
Arab countries that have normalized relations with Israel.
Blinken told Abbas he wanted to revitalize
US relations with the Palestinians after they collapsed under the administration
of former president Donald Trump.
But with its focus on the challenge from China and
now Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Washington has spent less time overall on
Middle East issues.
The
Palestinian Authority (PA) led by Abbas has
sparked the ire of Western diplomats in recent weeks because it has not
condemned Russia’s attack on Ukraine.
Multiple Western diplomatic sources have told AFP of
requests to the PA, a recipient of major EU donations, to condemn the Russian
invasion.
Blinken did not raise the Ukraine issue before
reporters, or other topics including reopening the US consulate for
Palestinians in
East Jerusalem, which Trump closed and the Israelis do not want
to see reopened.
But he pledged to maintain support for the
Palestinians, pointing to continuing financial aid for development and $500
million provided for humanitarian assistance in the past year.
“The US is committed to rebuilding our relationship
with the PA and with the Palestinian people,” he told Abbas.
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