
A senior official in Palestinian Authority (PA) Chairman Mahmoud Abbas’s Fatah party on Saturday attacked Martin Indyk, the United States envoy to the peace talks between Israel and the PA.
According to the official, Abbas Zaki, Indyk is biased in favor of Israel because he is Jewish.
"The U.S. mediator in the negotiations, Martin Indyk, is a Zionist who protects the interests of Israel,” charged Zaki in a post on his Facebook page.
He added, “If the Israelis believe that we will sell our (Palestinian) problem for the release of 30 prisoners, then they are wrong."
Zaki stressed that the PA will go to the UN to be recognized as a state despite the anger of the U.S. which, he claimed, was observing the situation through the eyes “of the Likud.”
Earlier this week, Sufian Abu Zaida, another member of Fatah, claimed that U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry’s “Jewish advisors” are to blame for the impasse in the peace talks.
“All the members of the U.S. delegation to the negotiations are Jews, except for Kerry, and they seek to implement Israel’s goals,” said Abu Zaida, who did not mention any names but might have been referring to Indyk as well.
The peace talks reached a critical point last week, when Abbas on Tuesday requested to join 15 international agencies in breach of the talk conditions.
In response, Israel cancelled the fourth terrorist release "gesture" which had been put on hold last Saturday, due to the lack of progress in the talks and popular opposition to the move.
Following the developments, Kerry said he would "evaluate" his next steps with President Barack Obama, holding a "reality check" about the talks. Kerry noted America's time and efforts are "limited."