- Diplomat Saed Erekat told off Haley after she said PLO leader Mahmoud Abbas was lacking in leadership skills
- Erekat also accused Haley of egging on a coup through her comments
- The exchange took place in the wake of the United States’ decision to move their Israeli embassy to Jerusalem, angering many Palestinians
A top Palestinian official had some harsh words for American ambassador the United Nations Nikki Haley in the wake of comments she made about Palestinian National Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas.
‘Nikki Haley needs to shut up and realize that the Palestinian leadership is not the problem,’ said Erekat according to the New York Daily News.
Erekat, who serves as a member of parliament for the Palestinian government, is often a liason to the western media for the Palestine Liberation Organization.
Palestinian diplomant Saed Erekat (above) had strong words for American ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley after she criticized PLO leader Mahmoud Abbas
‘Instead, the problem is the Israeli occupation and the policies it continues to pursue. I’m not saying that we don’t make mistakes; every society and every government makes mistakes,’ Erekat added.
Erekat’s criticism followed Haley’s comments about the PLO leader after Abbas said in front of the United Nations that he said that Palestine wouldn’t accept the United States as a mediator in their conflict with Israel.
The decision comes after the United States announced controversial a plan to move their Israeli embassy to Jerusalem.
Erekat added that Haley was trying to push a coup in Palestine through her criticism of Abbas
‘Ultimately, peace will not be achieved without leaders with courage,’ she said of Abbas’ decision not to work with the Americans.
Erekat added that Haley was trying to push Abbas out of power with her words.
‘She called for overthrowing the democratically elected Palestinian president,’ he said. ‘This is the president who led the peace process and promoted the principle of the two-state solution. Now this ambassador is accusing him of lacking courage and is calling for replacing him.’
Since the plan to move the American embassy to Jerusalem was announced, Palestinian officials have refused to meet with their American counterparts.
The American government, represented by Nikki Haley (above) at the UN, is being criticized in Palestine after a decision to move their embassy to Jerusalem