Atlanta, United States (CNN) – On Sunday, the Palestinian ambassador to the United Kingdom criticized the United States for failing to be an “honest broker” in the war between Israel and Hamas, he said.
“We need to see the United States playing the role of honest broker, not adopting the Israeli narrative,” Ambassador Hossam Zomlot told CBS shortly after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. “We needed an adult in the room, which is the United States – “Unfortunately, we did not hear that, and we did not come out with a joint statement.”
Zomlot, who previously served as the Palestinian ambassador to the United States, said Blinken’s meeting with Abbas was tense.
Zomlot added: “Our president has called for an immediate ceasefire to Israel’s brutal and murderous attack on our civilians and our people. This is not a war against Hamas. It has been clear since it began that it is a war against our people, not only in Gaza, but also in the West Bank.”
The Palestinian ambassador also criticized the United States for refusing to call for a ceasefire and instead choosing the term “humanitarian truce.”
“This whole talk, Margaret, about ‘humanitarian truces’ is simply irresponsible,” he told CBS anchor Margaret Brennan. “A truce for crimes against humanity. We’ll stop for six hours from killing our children, and then we’ll resume killing children? I mean, that’s not even consistent with International laws.”
Zomlot refused to formally condemn Hamas’ attack on Israel on October 7, and instead called on the United States to “empower the State of Palestine that will be able to protect its people.”
Zomlot said that he does not consider the conflict a war, because “war does not occur between the occupier and the occupier… and it only occurs between two sovereign states.”
He noted that the situation in the West Bank is “very volatile and dangerous,” and that he is concerned about its escalation into a broader regional war.
He warned that “every minute we wait, there is a risk of expansion” of the conflict.
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2023-11-05 18:39:24
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