Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Photo: Screenshot.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu slammed Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on Thursday for a claim he made the previous day that the Palestinian people were raising their children in a “culture of peace.”

Abbas’ remarks came at a joint White House press appearance with US President Donald Trump. After Trump appealed to Palestinian leaders to “speak in a united voice against incitement and hate,” Abbas responded: “We are raising our children and grandchildren in a culture of peace…We want them to live in peace with Israeli children.”

At a meeting in Jerusalem on Thursday with visiting Romanian Prime Minister Sorin Grindeanu, Netanyahu stated: “I heard President Abbas yesterday say that the Palestinians teach their children peace. That’s unfortunately not true. They name their schools after mass murderers of Israelis and they pay terrorists.”

Netanyahu emphasized his willingness to work with Trump on a new peace initiative to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.  “I look forward to discussing with President Trump the best ways to advance peace,” he said. “This is something we fervently share with the president.”

Regarding Palestinian rejectionist behavior, Netanyahu said, “I hope that it’s possible to achieve a change and to pursue a genuine peace. This is something Israel is always ready for. I’m always ready for genuine peace.”

The Israeli NGO Palestinian Media Watch has compiled an extensive list of Palestinian schools named after terrorists.