Abbas: Jews\Israelis are skilled “in falsifying history and religion”, the Torah says the Canaanites were in Jerusalem since before Abraham until today, but the city should be "open city for all religions"
Official PA TV, broadcast of PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas' speech at the emergency meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Istanbul, Turkey on Dec. 13, 2017
PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas: “Indeed [we], women and men, believe in our right and Allah’s promise to us that this sanctified city [Jerusalem] – since the Canaanite Jebusites established it 5,000 years ago – was not and will not be anything but the capital of our independent state, and [that] sovereignty in it [belongs to] the State of Palestine. By the way, I don’t like to argue about history or religion because none are more skilled than they (i.e., Israelis/Jews) are in falsifying history and religion. But if we read the Torah, it says that the Canaanites were here before our lord Abraham, and their presence has not stopped since that time (sic, there is no connection between the Canaanites and today's Palestinians) – this is in the Torah – until this very day. But if they want to falsify, they will divert the words from their place. Allah, may He be praised, said (breaks off, starts new sentence) - I do not want to get into religious matters because we do not want the issue to become a religious issue – but we are here, and therefore our right in this city [Jerusalem] and in other [cities] exists forever. We want it as an open city to all the members of the Heavenly religions, that they may practice their worship in it. If we will take East Jerusalem – let the Muslim, the Christian, and the Jew come and practice their faith in complete freedom, there is no obstacle.”
PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas: “Indeed [we], women and men, believe in our right and Allah’s promise to us that this sanctified city [Jerusalem] – since the Canaanite Jebusites established it 5,000 years ago – was not and will not be anything but the capital of our independent state, and [that] sovereignty in it [belongs to] the State of Palestine. By the way, I don’t like to argue about history or religion because none are more skilled than they (i.e., Israelis/Jews) are in falsifying history and religion. But if we read the Torah, it says that the Canaanites were here before our lord Abraham, and their presence has not stopped since that time (sic, there is no connection between the Canaanites and today's Palestinians) – this is in the Torah – until this very day. But if they want to falsify, they will divert the words from their place. Allah, may He be praised, said (breaks off, starts new sentence) - I do not want to get into religious matters because we do not want the issue to become a religious issue – but we are here, and therefore our right in this city [Jerusalem] and in other [cities] exists forever. We want it as an open city to all the members of the Heavenly religions, that they may practice their worship in it. If we will take East Jerusalem – let the Muslim, the Christian, and the Jew come and practice their faith in complete freedom, there is no obstacle.”