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    FACT CHECK: Abbas presents disputed narrative

    JERUSALEM (AP) — In his historic speech to the United Nations, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas eloquently laid out the case for granting his people an independent state. But in doing so, he presented a narrative that is disputed by Israel, and in at least one case, appeared to be factually incorrect.

    Here is a look at the counterarguments to Abbas' claims:

    OCCUPATION: Abbas called Israel's control of the territories claimed by the Palestinians "the only occupation in the world."

    THE FACTS: The world is full of ethnic minorities that might claim to be ruled by occupiers, ranging from Tibetans living under Chinese rule to Kurds in Turkey, Basques in Spain, Chechens in Russia and Muslim separatists in Indian-ruled Kashmir.

    PRISONERS: Abbas referred to the roughly 8,000 Palestinians being held in Israeli jails as prisoners of conscience.

    THE FACTS: Abbas did not mention that most Palestinian prisoners are being held because of alleged involvement in violence against Israelis. Israel's prison service says it's holding some 6,000 "security" prisoners, many of them involved in planning or carrying out deadly attacks on civilians.

    JEWISH CONNECTION TO THE HOLY LAND: Abbas called for two states, Israel and Palestine, to live in peace together.

    THE FACTS: Abbas did not address one of Israel's central demands, that he recognize the Jewish connection to Jerusalem and the Holy Land. And he ignored this Jewish connection by referring to the area as the land of Muhammad and Jesus, with no mention of any Jewish biblical figure.

    GAZA STRIP: Abbas referred to Gaza as an integral part of a future Palestine, briefly mentioning his reconciliation agreement with the territory's Hamas rulers and condemning an Israeli "war of aggression" there nearly three years ago.

    THE FACTS: Abbas lost control of Gaza to Hamas militants four years ago, and talks over implementing a reconciliation deal announced last May are at a standstill, in large part because of Hamas' refusal to disarm or renounce its armed struggle against Israel. In condemning Israel's 2008-2009 offensive in Gaza, Abbas did not mention that the operation was launched in response to persistent rocket fire from the Hamas-ruled territory.

    PEACE TALKS: Abbas declared the Palestinians "believe in peace" and repeatedly presented Israel as the obstacle to renewing peace talks.

    THE FACTS: The Palestinians did not accept two Israeli peace offers, in 2000 and 2008, that offered them a state in the vast majority of the territories they claim. Israel's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has repeatedly offered to launch negotiations — but refused to accept minimum outlines of a peace deal endorsed by the Palestinians and the international community. He has also not met the Palestinian condition of a settlement freeze for the duration of the talks.

    SETTLEMENTS: Abbas repeatedly condemned Israeli settlement activity as the chief obstacle to peace, saying that continued Israeli construction on lands claimed by the Palestinians shows that Israel is not serious about peace.

    THE FACTS: Israel might argue — as Netanyahu did in his rebuttal Friday — that Arab enmity to Israel long preceded the settlement of lands occupied in 1967. But Abbas, ironically, could have been even stronger in his condemnation and mentioned a jarring statistic: The number of Jews living in the West Bank and east Jerusalem has roughly doubled, to some 500,000 people, since the Oslo Accords of 18 years ago.

     

    111 comments

    • Harley  •  8 mths ago
      Now when I hear about the UN all I picture is the skull head coming out of the swamp.. and mean while back at the swamp headquarters the league of doom plots...
    • Joex  •  8 mths ago
      Long time before Russian revolution and Zionist movement Russian and Ukrainian Jewish was escaping in to Palestine from brutal Russian Kings Nicolas firs and second they was buying no man’s land from Palestinians and creating Kibbutzim it was successful agriculture socialist communities. Sum Palestinians didn’t like Jewish to be there neighbors they start attacking sabotage settlements and poison there water wells and killing there brother who was selling land to Jewish people. Arabs star call Palestinian people “Jewish of Medalist” they know what is coming and they what to stop Jewish return at any coat. November 29, 1947 Israel was created by proposal of USSR in United Nations and small secret military support from Joseph Stalin. Stalin was planning to create Grate Communist Israel as satellite of USSR from river Euphrates to river Nail. Zionist didn’t want to be satellite of former alias of Hitler and after creation of Israeli they show cold shoulder to Stalin. For my education purpose can anyone explain to me? Way Arabs next day November 30, 1947 with total support from USSR attack Israel? Way Palestinian sell their land to Israelis and then asking Muslim world to gat land back for them, Way Arabs hate and don’t trust Palestinians, Way was war between Iran and Iraq for 7 years with 2 millions casualties, Way Iranians #$%$ Ayatollah Hominy was sending yang Iranians boys to clean mine fields, Way Shea and Sunni killing each other for 5 centuries, Way Iranian have secret plans to create Nuclear weapon, Way Turks hate Arabs, Greeks, Armenians and Kurds. Way Arabs hate Iranians, Kurds, Christian, Jewish, Way non Arabs in Arab counters second class citizen, Way was Black September war in Jordan, Way was civilian war in Lebanon, Way Arabs hate each other more then they hate Jewish, Way Ayatollahs, Imams and Terrorists sending on suicide meshing only somebody alls children bat not their own, Way they thinking Allah only in Medal East and wan they some plays ales they can do anteing they like against their Allah teachings, Way Islam permits rub cheat and kill infidels, Way Muslim man or Woman if they change their fait they can be pot to a death, Way in history of profits only Mohamed was care for money and power and no one ales, Way Muslim don’t fallow God very important commandments dash shod not kill, Way every dictator of Medal East like dominate over the all Regan, Way Muslim fade teach that infidels worth last then animal, Way Arabs made their very important discovers like number zero witch everyone know math won’t existence whiteout and many more only before Islam was in forth on Arab people, Way #$%$ Ayatollahs like keep their people under total control like in 15 centuries, Way One Thousand and One Arabian Nights fare tail stores contain sum verses and stores with promotion rub and kill Jewish, Way Palestinian have hundreds fraction and they can’t agree between them self’s and create one Government, Way Ayatollahs and Imams see trait for Islam in progressive thinking, Way Arabs so happy of Arab Spring don’t they know after spring cams summer then fall and winter. Nothing going to change until all Dictators, Ayatollahs, and Imams with their Islamic teaching will go away.
    • Temujin  •  8 mths ago
      "sware?" go slop the hogs, Reuben.
    • Doctor Hakeem  •  8 mths ago
      What in this analysis is factually incorrect, wrong, biased, or a lie?
      • majdi 8 mths ago
        all of it, take a history class
      • A Yahoo! User 8 mths ago
        I took a history class at Princeton from an Arab professor, and yes, this analysis is factual... the Palestinian narrative is based on lies and incitement.
      • shekel_trader 8 mths ago
        From a demented and schizo AshkeNazi's perspective, I would suppose all this is "factual".
        LMAO
        -S/T
    • Paul  •  8 mths ago
      we really need more people standing for comparisons of truth and untruths. thanks for the effort
      • dcash 8 mths ago
        Unfortunately this "article" was written by a guy reading the zionist propaganda manual. Most of his "facts" are wrong. Check them yourselves.
    • Rant  •  8 mths ago
      This is another fact you won't hear much of: Abbas, after rebuffing President Barack Obama, now has taken on the Quartet and rejected its proposal for resuming talks with Israel because it does not include pre-conditions. So much for negotiations.
    • Once in a while  •  8 mths ago
      Mr. Abbas to his speech writers: This is an important day in our history. Write me a good one, boys. Use Weikipedia if you have too.
    • Veritas Anon  •  8 mths ago
      What a tragedy that Arafat's right hand man, the one who helped orchestrate international terrorist acts directly that culminated in the deaths of civilians that includes Americans would end up speaking as an "equal" to other world leaders. Abbas is a wolf in sheep's clothing and is undeserving of any modern nation's ear. Palestinians continue to chose leadership that advocates murder and violence while pathetically insisting they are victims to Israelis when in fact they are victims of their own making.

      If ever a nation is created called "Palestine" people like myself and people of both Christian and Jewish fatih will refer to it as OCCUPIED ISRAEL. Palestinians are opportunist squatters that came during the British mostly. They are filthy liars to suggest that collectively they were an entity that pre-existed before the British. Only perhaps 10 percent existed previously. In total - you can't trust these Arabs who now claim to be Palestinians. Israel was the one to initiate OSLO and sadly it only brought vicious terrorist mayhem on their doorsteps. Never trust a thief and liar, never trust an Arab calling himself a Palestinian.
      • Saywhut 8 mths ago
        Thanks for saving me from writing what you just posted. I totally agree.
    • Stonebird2112  •  8 mths ago
      The Facts speak for themselves. Arab enmity to Israel long preceded the settlement of lands occupied in 1967.
    • DKNJ  •  8 mths ago
      More lie from lying liarers
      • Adaptive 8 mths ago
        DESPERATE, MISERABLE, POOR zionist THAT is FULL of LIES...
    • Stonebird2112  •  8 mths ago
      Facts speak louder than lies and Abbas was caught lying to the UN. Is this really that surprising or even newsworthy?
    • Sargon Sawa  •  8 mths ago
      Palestinian ambassador to US wants Jew-free state

      WASHINGTON – The Palestine Liberation Organization's ambassador to the United States said Tuesday that any future Palestinian state it seeks with help from the United Nations and the United States should be free of Jews.

      After the experience of the last 44 years of military occupation and all the conflict and friction, I think it would be in the best interest of the two people to be separated," Maen Areikat, the PLO ambassador, said during a meeting with reporters, in response to a question about the rights of minorities in a Palestine of the future.

      Such a state would be the first to officially prohibit Jews or any other faith since Nazi Germany, which sought a country that was judenrein, or cleansed of Jews, said Elliott Abrams, a former U.S. National Security Council official.

      Israel has 1.3 million Muslims who are Israeli citizens. Jews have lived in "Judea and Samaria," the Biblical name for the West Bank, for thousands of years. Areikat said the PLO seeks a secular state, but that Palestinians need separation to work on their own national identity.

      The Palestinian demand is unacceptable and "a despicable form of anti-Semitism," Abrams said. A small Jewish presence in a future Palestine, up to 1% of the population, would not hurt the Palestinian identity, he said.

      "No civilized country would act this way," Abrams said.

      Israel has often complained of anti-Semitic views in Palestinian discourse. Palestinian media frequently publishes and broadcasts anti-Semitic sermons by Islamic religious leaders, while the Hamas-run Al-Aqsa TV shows programming for preschoolers that extolls hatred of Jews and suicide bombings, according to a 2009 State Department human rights report.

      The PLO seeks a U.N. vote on Palestinian statehood when the U.N. General Assembly meets in New York City next week. Areikat said Palestinian negotiators have been stymied in peace talks with the Israelis because of the two sides' unequal status before international legal institutions such as the U.N. and the International Criminal Court, where Israel is a full member and the Palestinians are not. The Palestinians hope the increased pressure will push the Jewish state to agree to their demands.

      "We are trying to preserve the concept of a two-state solution," Areikat said. "And to make the Israelis understand there will be consequences for their actions."

      The Obama administration has promised to veto the statehood bid if it reaches the U.N. Security Council.

      "This short cut is not going to create a Palestinian state," U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Susan Rice said. "We continue to urge them and convince them that would be self-defeating."

      Told you Arabs are racists.
    • V.V.V  •  8 mths ago
      stop muslim immigration in US
    • ljs  •  8 mths ago
      Majdi - Everything Federman said in here is fact. It just so happens that the actual facts support Israel's position. Is there something in here that you claim is not accurate? Do the Jews not have any long historical connection to, and presence in, the land between the Mediterranean and the Jordan? Did the Palestinians accept the two full peace deals they were offered that would have given them at least 95% of the land their moderates claim they want? Did Arab hostility to Israel not exist prior to 1967? Does Abbas still rule Gaza? Did Hamas not launch numerous missles against Israel's civilian population, on a daily basis, prior to Israel's incursion into Gaza? Do the Chinese not occupy Tibet, the Turks a large part of Kurdistan (in conjunction with the Syrians, Iraqis, and Iranians occupying the rest), the Indians Kashmir, and the Russians Chechnya? Because unless these things are false, all you're left with is that the author refused to be as one-sided as you would wish, and wasn't willing to accept everything Abbas says as the whole truth and nothing but the truth.
    • Phillip S  •  8 mths ago
      Abbas forgot to mention a lot.But that is typical.Muslims in general have a problem recognizing anyone except another muslim.Sometimes that is a problem between shites and sunni;s.
    • big_al  •  8 mths ago
      as he has been repeating LIES all his life, he might actually beleive them.
    • ljs  •  8 mths ago
      For once, an AP article that doesn't just buy and sell the Palestinian line, but actually looks at the facts. There isn't anything here that I'd quarrel with. What a novel idea - fact-based jounalism. Maybe it'll start a trend.
    • big_al  •  8 mths ago
      a typical ugly arab LIAR
    • Sargon Sawa  •  8 mths ago
      I guess the Arabs who murdered the Fogal family, slitting the throat of a sleeping baby are also prisoners of conscience, right?
    • NBA Fan  •  8 mths ago
      As usual.....more BS from Abbas. Can "Native" say the word......VETO?
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