Abbas gives half-hearted condemnation of lethal Elad terror attack, ultimately blaming Israel for the violence

Headline: “The [PA] president: Killing Palestinian and Israeli civilians will only bring about an additional deterioration in the situation”

“[PA] President Mahmoud Abbas expressed his condemnation of the killing of Israeli civilians two evenings ago [May 5, 2022] (refers to terrorists As’ad Al-Rifai and Subhi Abu Shuqeir murdering 3 -Ed.). He emphasized that killing Palestinian and Israeli civilians will only bring about an additional deterioration in the situation, at a time when we all are striving to achieve stability and prevent an escalation.

President Abbas warned against the settlers and others exploiting this condemnable event to carry out attacks and retaliations against our Palestinian people.He emphasized his condemnation of the ongoing attacks against our people and its Islamic and Christian holy sites, which have created an atmosphere of tension and instability.

He noted that the cycle of violence emphasizes that a comprehensive and just permanent peace is the shortest and safest path to achieving security and stability for the Palestinian people, the Israeli people, and the peoples of the region.”

As'ad Al-Rifai and Subhi Abu Shuqeir - Palestinian terrorists aged 19 and 20 respectively who used axes and knives to murder 3 Israeli civilians - Oren Ben Yiftah, Yonatan Habakuk, and Boaz Gol - at a park in Elad east of Tel Aviv on Israeli Independence Day, May 5, 2022. Al-Rifai and Shuqeir worked in the town without work permits and therefore knew the area well. The two escaped after the attack and were arrested on May 8, 2022.