RAMALLAH, May 3, 2018 (WAFA) – Saeb Erekat, secretary general of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), said on Thursday that he was "deeply disturbed" by accusations suggesting that President Mahmoud Abbas is an anti-Semite and that he is opposed to peace negotiations.

These accusation, started by Israel and picked up by Western officials, came following Abbas‘ speech at the opening session of the Palestinian National Council on Monday in which he presented historical evidence written by Jewish authors on the conflict in Palestine.

"President Abbas has repeatedly referred to the Holocaust as the most heinous crime in history," said Erekat. "President Abbas is a man of peace who has dedicated his entire political career to finding a just and lasting peace based on International Law, freedom, justice, equality and coexistence between Israel and Palestine."

The PLO official said Palestine is committed to freedom of worship and respect for the role that the three monotheistic religions have on this land, and particularly in the Palestinian capital, Jerusalem.

"Our problem is not with Judaism but with the systematic denial of our rights committed by Israel. We condemn all attempts at trying to turn a solvable political conflict into a religious war, particularly by the Israeli Government that has constantly made use of religion to justify its systematic denial of the human and national rights of the Palestinian people."

M.K.