Key Netanyahu Ally Labels Palestine President Abbas 'Top Enemy'

An Israeli minister and ally of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called Mahmud Abbas Israel's top ideological enemy Thursday after the Palestinian president suggested he could withdraw recognition of Israel if progress is not made toward peace.

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Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz called the Palestinian leader's remarks at a Fatah party Congress in Ramallah Wednesday "a sad joke."

"Abu Mazen talks about stopping recognizing Israel — he never really recognized Israel's right to exist and the Jewish people's right to a state of their own," Steinitz told Israel's Army Radio, referring to Abbas.

"Ideologically Abu Mazen is the number one enemy of the very existence of Israel, even more than (Yasser) Arafat was," he said, referring to Abbas's predecessor who led an armed struggle against Israel before signing the Oslo peace accords of 1993 and 1995.

While Palestinian leaders have recognized the state of Israel, Israeli leaders have called on them to do so as a "Jewish state," which Abbas has refused.

For the Palestinians, doing so could prevent negotiations on the so-called right of return, the demand that Palestinian refugees from the time of Israel's creation in 1948 be allowed back under a peace deal.

Palestinian officials have also said that recognizing Israel as a Jewish state would lead to further discrimination against the more than 1.7 million Palestinian citizens of Israel.

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Speaking at the Fatah party's first Congress since 2009, Abbas said: "Our recognition of the state of Israel is not free and must receive mutual recognition in return,” the 81-year-old said during his three-hour speech.

"At the moment, we must lead a peaceful popular resistance and we want to keep our hand extended for peace, but if Israel does not recognize us, we will withdraw our recognition."

Labeling the internationally recognized Palestinian president a top enemy is likely to raise further doubts over Israel's interest in reaching a sustainable peace as Abbas and his government are the elected officials responsible for negotiating peace on behalf of the Palestinian people.

After Donald Trump secured the U.S. presidency last month, several far-right and pro-settlement Israeli ministers celebrated his victory and said his administration would put an end to the Palestinian hope for a state.