Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.

Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas continues to deny Israel’s right to exist by referring to the entire Jewish State as an “occupation,” reports Palestinian Media Watch.

“We have been under occupation for 67 or 68 years [i.e., since Israel’s establishment in 1948]. Others would have sunk into despair and frustration. However, we are determined to reach our goal because our people stand behind us,” said Abbas on official PA TV on March 11.

Click here to watch the video clip.

Abbas’ latest comments come amid reports that the Palestinian president is willing to resume peace negotiations with Israel.

Abbas is notorious for double speak — saying two completely different messages to different crowds. While he consistently denies Israel’s right to exist to the Palestinian street, Abbas claims to support the two-state solution to international audiences.

“We strive for peace through the establishment of the Palestinian state, which will live in peace and stability alongside Israel…despite all that is happening, we still hold our hand out to you, in order to establish peace and put an end to the loathing and [spilling] of blood between us. Therefore, we are trying to hold dialogue with all groups of the Israeli society,” Abbas told a Jewish delegation, as reported by official PA daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida on March 29.

However, Palestinian Media Watch has extensively reported on Abbas’s consistent referral to all of Israel as “Palestine.”

In addition, this month’s edition of Zayzafuna, a PA-funded youth magazine, features the PA map of “Palestine” with all of Israel represented by the Palestinian flag. The cover also includes a cartoon slingshot and a stone, as well as a key symbolizing the “return of Palestinian refugees” to Israel.

Zayzafuna often demonizes Israel, glorifying jihad and encouraging martyrdom operations against Jews for Allah.

Palestinian officials, including Abbas, systematically praise terrorists who kill Israelis and actively incite others to follow suit, fueling the ongoing Palestinian terrorist campaign over the last half year.

Steven Emerson is the Executive Director the Investigative Project on Terrorism (www.investigativeproject.org) where this article first appeared.