Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas called U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman “a son of a dog” on Monday, with Friedman responding with a question: “Antisemitism or political discourse? Not for me to judge, I will leave that up to you.”
The U.S. administration “has said that settlement building is legitimate,” Abbas said. “That’s what several American officials have said including, first and foremost, their ambassador in Tel Aviv, David Friedman. He said [settlers] are building on their land. Son of a dog, they are building in their land? He is a settler and his family members are settlers.”
While he has supported projects in settlements before becoming ambassador, Friedman lives in the official residence of the U.S. ambassador in Herzliya.
Friedman’s comments came during a speech in Jerusalem at the Sixth Global Forum for Combating Antisemitism. He read about Abbas’ comments – which were delivered in a speech to a meeting of the Palestinian leadership at the PA presidential headquarters in Ramallah – just minutes before he delivered his speech.
The mudslinging between the two politicians is part of the deterioration of U.S.-Palestinian relations in advance of the anticipated peace plan by U.S. President Donald Trump.