Abbas: Palestinian violence is “justified popular uprising”

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas referred to the recent period as “a justified popular uprising”.

Pouilly said that the “wave of stabbings, shootings, and car-rammings” which “continues to kill and injure Israelis” is “unacceptable”, but that the response from the IDF “has resulted in alleged attackers, protesters, and even bystanders being killed and injured”.

Israeli security forces shot dead two Palestinians who tried to ram them with their cars in the West Bank on Wednesday, Israeli forces and Palestinian medical sources said.

Since early October, 120 Palestinians, 22 Israelis, an American and an Eritrean have been killed in the violence.

A majority of respondents were opposed to a two-state solution with Israel (54%), an increase from three months ago when that same figure stood at 51%. At least 115 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire, of whom 78 Israel has identified as assailants.

“We know who were responsible for carrying out the act, but there is still not enough evidence to try them”, he said.

Only 45 per cent of Palestinians said they supported the two-state solution, the idea of Israel and an independent Palestinian state living side by side.

Global condemnation of Israel’s actions in the occupied territory has also intensified and foreign powers have expressed concern over what they say is excessive use of force. The Israeli government responded that there could be no justification “for wanton attacks on civilians”.

Rights group Defense for Children International-Palestine found in July that in the first half of 2014, “86 percent of Palestinian children experienced some form of physical violence during their arrest or interrogation”.

“The Palestinian public thinks Abbas does not support the current confrontation and is not serious (pursuing) diplomatic confrontation with Israel, which is why he is losing support”, Khalil Shikaki, head of the PSR, told AFP.

In Jerusalem, mayor Nir Barkat vowed to erect protective barriers near bus stations on the city’s main traffic arteries.