Abbas: Lieberman would have slammed Mother Teresa too

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Sunday fired back at Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman who called for his dismissal for exercising "state terror" last week.

"Lieberman would accuse Mother Teresa of terrorism if she were the Palestinian Authority's chairwoman. It derives from his and his government's rejection of peace."

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Abbas made the statements after meeting Meretz MKs and party members in Ramallah. Addressing his upcoming trip to the Non-Aligned Movement Summit in Tehran, he said: "I'm going for the summit, not for a visit in Iran. Our relations with Iran are very icy."

Abbas with Meretz Chairwoman Zahava Gal-On (Photo: AFP)

It has recently been reported that Hamas Prime Minister in Gaza Ismail Haniyeh has also been invited to the summit. "It's an attempt to intervene in our domestic politics. We will not accept it. We will not go if Haniyeh's invitation is not withdrawn."

Meanwhile, AFP reported Sunday that a website closely linked to Hamas said that Haniyeh has decided not to attend the summit, in an effort not to exacerbate inter-Palestinian divisions.

The Palestinian president also commented on the PA's intention to upgrade its observer status at the UN's General Assembly. "It won't come instead of negotiations but in addition to them," he said.

"The refugee issue cannot be resolved in the UN but it's another step in that direction. We are trying to renew negotiations but are encountering unwillingness on the part of the Israelis."

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