Abbas admits: No Palestinian state in the near future

Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas discussed PA aspirations for statehood during an interview with Egypt’s CBC, acknowledging that despite plans by the Trump administration to reboot negotiations for a final status agreement between Israel and the PA, no Palestinian state would be established in the near future.

“The time will come for a Palestinian state,” Abbas said Monday, “but it’s not going to happen anytime soon.”

A long-time member of the Fatah movement within the PLO who once helped fund the 1972 Munich Massacre of Israeli Olympic athletes, Abbas claimed the Fatah-dominated Palestinian Authority was focusing on laying the groundwork for a future Palestinian state to be established sometime in the distant future.

“We’re building the Palestinian state brick by brick, and it will take time.”

For the time being, Abbas continued, Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s government appears to have effectively blocked the establishment of a Palestinian state.

Despite his own insistence that the PA continue to fund Arab terrorists and their families, Abbas blamed the Netanyahu government for the lack of progress towards a final status agreement with Israel.

“Standing against us is a right-wing government, and it’s setting the policy right now. That government doesn’t want peace and doesn’t recognize the existence of the Palestinian people.”

Abbas recently pledged to continue funding Arab terrorists involved in attacks on Israeli civilians and security personnel, denouncing US demands the PA halt its support for jailed terrorists.

"Israel and the US says that this is supporting terrorism...I will not back down on this issue. The families of the martyrs will continue to receive their allowances in full." Abbas said.