Report: PA Repeatedly Referred to All of Israel as ‘Palestine’

A Feb. 25 report from Palestinian Media Watch (PMW) compiled myriad instances throughout the month of February of the Palestinian Authority (PA) referring to all of Israel as “Palestine.”

The report highlighted Fatah Deputy Chairman Mahmoud Al-Aloul saying at a PA event on Feb. 11, “This is Palestine” as he held up a map of Israel. Al-Aloul’s statement was shared in a video on PA Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh’s Facebook page.

PMW also pointed to Fatah Central Committee member Tawfiq Tirawi writing on his Facebook page on Feb. 2, “Our Palestinian land is from the [Jordan] River to the [Mediterranean] Sea. I dare any Palestinian, any senior Palestinian official, or any Palestinian leader to reduce the Palestinian map to the West Bank and Gaza! He would not be able to walk one meter in the streets of our Palestinian cities among our people!”

Fatah is PA President Mahmoud Abbas’ ruling party in the PA.

Additionally, the PA’s official newspaper, Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, had a crossword puzzle in its Feb. 10 edition calling the Galilee as the answer to “a mountain in Palestine that overlooks the Mediterranean Sea.” PA TV also gave airtime on Feb. 2 to activists attempting to distribute a map showing all of Israel as “Palestine” throughout all PA schools

PMW argued that such recent statements contradict Abbas’ assertion to the United Nations on Feb. 11 that “we recognize Israel” as he criticized President Donald Trump’s proposed peace plan.

In August, Abbas said in a speech regarding Israel, “Every stone you have built on our land and every house you have built on our land — there is no escaping that they will disappear, Allah willing. And the more they announce houses here or settlements there — they will all disappear, Allah willing, and will be in the garbage dump of history.”

He added that the Palestinians “will enter Jerusalem as fighters by the millions. We will all enter it, all of the Palestinian people and all of the Arab and Islamic and Christian nations! Everyone will enter Jerusalem!”

Additionally, in 2009 Abbas said in a speech, “The ‘Jewish State’ … I will not accept it.”

The Trump peace plan would give the Palestinians $50 billion for economic investment should they agree to a de-militarized state with East Jerusalem as its capital. Israel would also be able to annex Jewish settlements in the West Bank in exchange for a four-year freeze in building new settlements.

When the plan was unveiled in late January, protesters burned tires and images of Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. There also were clashes between protesters and Israeli forces on the outskirts of Ramallah.