Netanyahu Says Abbas Lied To Trump About Teaching Peace
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JERUSALEM (JTA) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he is “always ready for genuine peace,” his first response to the meeting in Washington between U.S. President Donald Trump and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.
Trump and Abbas met at the White House on Wednesday and gave statements to the press.
Netanyahu, however, took issue with Abbas’ statement that the Palestinians teach their children peace.
“I heard President Abbas yesterday say that they teach, Palestinians teach their children peace. That’s unfortunately not true. They name their schools after mass murderers of Israelis and they pay terrorists,” Netanyahu said Thursday during a meeting with Romanian Prime Minister Sorin Grindeanu in Jerusalem.
“But I hope that it’s possible to achieve a change and to pursue a genuine peace. This is something Israel is always ready for. I’m always ready for genuine peace,” he said.
Netanyahu also said that he “look(s) forward to discussing with President Trump the best ways to advance peace.”
During their joint statement during the White House welcoming ceremony, Trump called on Abbas to address incitement.
“We are raising our youth, our children and our grandchildren, on a culture of peace,” Abbas said.
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