Al-Jazeera, Qatar, May 8
A few weeks ago Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas spoke in front of the Palestinian National Committee and made remarks pertaining to the roots of anti-Semitism in Europe. These comments were widely condemned by world leaders who viewed them as offensive, thus forcing the Palestinian leader to issue a formal apology to the Jewish community. Regrettably, President Abbas did not employ the same morality by apologizing to the people of Egypt for slandering ousted President Mohammad Morsi. For months, Abbas has spread libelous claims about Morsi, accusing him of pressuring the Palestinians into abandoning their territorial demands and instead accepting lands in the Sinai Peninsula rather than in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Such allegations, of course, have no factual basis and can easily be refuted. Sadly, Morsi cannot rebut Abbas’ claims since he was unlawfully incarcerated during the July 2013 coup. However, it suffices to review old Al-Jazeera reports to learn about Morsi’s steadfast support for the Palestinian people. In one interview, when asked about the idea of providing Palestinians with lands in the Sinai, then-President Morsi rejected the idea outright and called it “ludicrous.” He compared any Palestinian willingness to give up lands in historic Palestine to the prospect of Egypt giving up the Suez Canal. Both were non-negotiable issues, he explained. Therefore, it is clear beyond any doubt that Abbas is lying. Why he chose to do so remains beyond my understanding but one can only imagine that he has been trying to improve his public image by deflecting responsibility for his failures onto other leaders. To make matters worse, he has been a nodding sycophant who willingly takes orders from a criminal: President Abdel al-Fatah al-Sisi. This is the same man who handed over cherished Egyptian lands to Saudi Arabia as a “gesture of good will.” This is the same president who bowed down to Donald Trump and conspired with him in moving the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. This is the same president who locked up hundreds of his own people while staging a coup against a democratically-elected leader. This is the president that Abbas chooses to idolize while dishonoring Mohammad Morsi. Abbas does not have the basic courage to admit to his two-faced policy and apologize. Shame on him! His time, too, will come. –Salah Abd al-Maqsoud, Former Egyptian Minister of Information in Morsi’s Cabinet