On Friday, in an interview with Israel's Channel 2, Abbas stated that the Arab world had made a mistake in rejecting the United Nations' 1947 plan to partition Palestine into Jewish and Palestinian states.
As reported by Haaretz, Abbas made the comments during a rare appearance on Israeli television:
"It was our mistake. It was an Arab mistake as a whole," Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas told Channel 2 TV in a rare interview to the Israeli media. "But do they (the Israelis) punish us for this mistake for 64 years?"
These surprising and historic words come as Abbas continues to press forward with the Palestinians' statehood bid at the United Nations, which is still working its way through the Security Council.
This context clearly played a part in Abbas' statement as the Palestinian Authority continues its effort to convince member UN states to back their desire for statehood. However, this takes nothing away from the political risk contained in Abbas' words. Nor does it take away from this sentiment he also shared with the Israeli public:
"We have to negotiate with the Israelis peacefully," he explained. "This is our ideology. This is our mentality. This is the culture of the Palestinians. We are not ready to turn back to violence."
Achieving statehood at the UN will not mean that the Palestinians will not return to negotiating table with Israel, he added.
No Palestinian leader has ever uttered what Abbas did on Friday – that the refusal to accept U.N. General Resolution 181 was a mistake on the Palestinians' part. They are controversial words. Difficult words, particularly for any Palestinian who still views himself or herself as a refugee. They are words that have riled some Palestinians, and are sure to anger many more.
With Hamas getting a political boon from the recent prisoner swap for Gilad Shalit, and with the PA and Hamas continuing to work on a reconciliation deal, Abbas' words will not play well with many in Hamas, and could be used against him.
Which means one thing: Abbas' remains undeniably committed to the statehood path through the UN, whatever the political costs (or gains), and is fully committed to – in the end – a peaceful settlement with Israel that recognizes the legitimacy of two states: Israel and Palestine.
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