Mahmud Abbas

Palestinians seek EU support as row with US persists

Brussels - Muslimchronicle

Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas will seek EU support in Brussels on Monday amid bitter acrimony with the United States, but he looks unlikely to get much the in way of concrete commitments. In an interview with AFP on Sunday in Brussels, Palestinian foreign minister Riad al-Malki said Abbas would urge the European Union to officially recognise the state of Palestine “as aRead more

Abbas urges EU countries to 'swiftly' recognise state of Palestine

Brussels - Muslimchronicle

Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas on Monday urged EU member states to "swiftly" grant official recognition to the state of Palestine as he arrived to meet foreign ministers from the bloc in Brussels. "We truly consider the European Union as a true partner and friend, and therefore we call its member states to swiftly recognise the state of Palestine and weRead more

Palestinians meet to respond to Trump's 'slap of the century'

Ramallah - Muslimchronicle

Palestinian leaders met Monday to plan a response to what they see as US President Donald Trump's attack on their long bid for statehood, after Mahmud Abbas denounced White House peace efforts as the "slap of the century". The rare meeting of the Palestinian Central Council -- a high-ranking arm of the Palestine Liberation Organisation -- was called after Trump's controversial December 6Read more

Palestinian Authority agrees to restore electricity payments

Ramallah - Muslimchronicle

The Palestinian Authority said Wednesday it had agreed to restore payments for electricity in the Gaza Strip after a cut in June worsened a power crisis in the blockaded enclave. The electricity payments have been a key issue in ongoing efforts at reconciliation between Hamas, the Islamist movement that runs the Gaza Strip, and Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas's Fatah. A cut in PARead more

Palestinians say won't be 'blackmailed' after Trump threat

Ramallah - Muslimchronicle

Palestinian leaders said Wednesday they will not be "blackmailed" after US President Donald Trump threatened to cut aid worth more than $300 million annually, his latest provocative move that could upturn years of careful diplomacy. Relations between Trump's White House and the Palestinians were already tense after the US president's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital last month. The December 6 announcementRead more

Palestinians say Jerusalem ‘not for sale’ after Trump aid threat

Jerusalem - Muslimchronicle

Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas’s office said Wednesday Jerusalem is “not for sale” after US President Donald Trump threatened to cut annual aid of more than $300 million to force them to the negotiating table. “Jerusalem is the eternal capital of the state of Palestine and it is not for sale for gold or billions,” Abbas spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeina toldRead more

Abbas condemns Israeli ruling party vote

Ramallah - Muslimchronicle

Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas on Monday harshly condemned a vote by Israel's ruling party in support of annexing large parts of the West Bank and criticised the United States for its silence. Abbas said the non-binding vote by the central committee of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party on Sunday "could not be taken without the full support of the US administration". HeRead more

Abbas breaks with US over Jerusalem - but for how long?

Ramallah - Muslimchronicle

Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas has broken with Washington over its recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital but, popular as it is domestically, analysts question how long that tough stance can last. The 82-year-old Abbas is habitually cautious but, as protests have gripped the Palestinian territories since US President Donald Trump's controversial policy shift, he has adopted unusually harsh language. He refused to receiveRead more