PLO official: Jesus was “the first Palestinian,” ancient Canaanites were Palestinians

     “During the reopening ceremony of the Jericho Culture and Art Center… [PLO Executive Committee member and PA chief negotiator] Dr. Saeb Erekat said: ‘I will demand of Dr. Rami Hamdallah, as Prime Minister, that he issue a decision to name Jericho ‘Mother of Cities,’ because it is the cradle of civilizations and its roots go back ten thousand years, and Jesus lived there, the first Palestinian after the Canaanite Palestinians.’ […]
Regarding the negotiation process, Erekat said: ‘There have been no direct negotiations with the Israeli side since the fifth of last month [November 2013]; rather there are American-Palestinian and American-Israeli talks.’
Erekat added: ‘In order to narrow the gaps, President Mahmoud Abbas sent a letter to American President Barack Obama, which contained all that is in our power and not in our power. We will not accept the Jewishness of Israel, which will harm the refugee cause and harm the Palestinians of the Interior (i.e., Israel), and most dangerously – will alter history and religion as though we were never on this land.’ […]
According to Erekat, the letter included ‘non-acceptance of any interim agreement or extension of the negotiation period.’”