Abbas calls on world to protect Palestinians from Israel

Palestine, Dec 23: Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on Wednesday accused Israel of continuing to “consolidate an Apartheid regime by accelerating policies which destroy the two-state solution.” Abbas’s latest accusation came in a “Christmas Message” in which he repeated other charges against Israel, such as the construction of an “Annexation Wall” and the uprooting of “historic olive trees” near Bethlehem. “Jesus is a symbol for all Palestinians,” Abbas said. “Palestine and its people take pride in being the birthplace of Christianity and having the oldest Christian community in the world.” He said that Palestinians in Bethlehem would celebrate Christmas this year “surrounded by 18 illegal settlements and an annexation wall, which are taking over their land.”  Abbas said that this Christmas comes during a particularly difficult period. He said that intertiol intervention is “desperately needed to protect the Palestinians.” Abbas accused Israeli extremists of attacking mosques and churches. He also said that the “twin cities of Bethlehem and Jerusalem have been separated for the first time in over 2000 years of Christianity.” (Agencies)