Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas came out against Iran on Wednesday, calling his people "hijacked, at the hands of the Iranians."
"The decision-making power is not in our hands," he told Egyptian television station Nile TV, possibly referring to Hamas's refusal to reconcile with Fatah at Teheran's behest. "The Palestinian people's unity... is not in our hands."
Hamas announced on Monday that it would boycott the Palestinian municipal elections, saying they elections were being held under the supervision of Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad’s “unconstitutional government."
On Tuesday, PA security forces arrested dozens of Hamas men in the West Bank in response to the boycott.
Abbas went on to say that the Second Intifada was "one of the biggest mistakes of our lives. [Former PA chief Yasser] Arafat did not want the Second Intifada to spread, but he was unable to stop it."
On the recently launched proximity talks, the PA president asserted that "peace could be achieved in a week" if Israel would actively pursue it. However, he charged, Israel is not "serious" in respect to negotiations.
"While the Arabs do not want war with Israel, Israel does not want negotiations," he said.
When asked about the Palestinian boycott on products made in West Bank settlements, Abbas clarified that he was not protesting against Israel. "I am not boycotting Israel or its products, I am boycotting settlement goods, as these products are being manufactured on our land."
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