Abbas accuses Israel of ’50 Holocausts’ after meeting with German chancellor

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas accused Israel of committing “Holocausts” at a press conference on Tuesday after meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin.

After a reporter asked the Palestinian president whether would apologize for the murder of 11 Israeli athletes during the 1972 Munich Olympics. “If you want to go over the past, go ahead,” Abbas replied. “I have 50 slaughters that Israel committed…50 massacres, 50 slaughters…50 Holocausts.”

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz rejected the word apartheid to describe relations between Israel and the Palestinian Territories after the meeting with Abbas.

“Naturally we have a different assessment with a view to Israeli politics, and I want to expressly say here that I do not espouse the use of the word apartheid and do not think it correctly describes the situation,” said Scholz during a joint news conference with Abbas in Berlin on Tuesday.

Germany’s stance on Israel

In March, Scholz made a visit to Israel after being invited in December 2021 by former Prime Minister Naftali Bennet. Bennet and Scholz visited Yad Vashem where he reaffirmed Germany’s commitment to Israel’s security.

“Germany will continue to be steadfast at Israeli’s side,” Scholz said.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz with Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett on 2/3/2022. (credit: KOBI GIDON / GPO)

“Naturally we have a different assessment with a view to Israeli politics, and I want to expressly say here that I do not espouse the use of the word apartheid and do not think it correctly describes the situation.”

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz

What about to Abbas and Biden?

When US President Joe Biden made his visit to Israel in July, he had a joint press conference with Mahmoud Abbas in Bethlehem.

During the conference, Abbas also called for an end to Israeli “apartheid” and warned that the two-state solution won’t be a discussion forever. Abbas told Biden that he looks forward to the Biden administration ending the “Israeli occupation”. He also urged that the United States recognize the state of Palestine.

“We look forward to the efforts of your administration to close the chapter of the Israeli occupation of our land and ending the act of racial discrimination, the apartheid against our people, and halt unilateral actions,” Abbas said.

“The key to peace and security in our region begins with recognizing the state of Palestine and enabling the Palestinian people to achieve their legitimate rights in accordance with international legitimacy resolutions,” Abbas told Biden as he spoke of a Palestinian dream of having east Jerusalem as their capital.