US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman knocked the Palestinian Authority's alleged silence in the wake of two recent attacks in a tweet he posted on Monday, continuing his practice of sharply criticizing Palestinian leadership after each attack.
“Tragedy in Israel. 2 young soldiers, Netanel Kahalani and Ziv Daos, murdered in the North, and father of 4, Adiel Kolman, murdered in Jerusalem, by Palestinian terrorists. Such brutality and no condemnation from the PA! I pray for the families and the wounded – so much sadness,” he tweeted.
In early February, Friedman responded to the terrorist attack in Ariel that killed Rabbi Itamar Ben-Gal from Har Bracha with a similar tweet: “20 years ago I gave an ambulance to Har Bracha hoping it would be used to deliver healthy babies. Instead, a man from Har Bracha was just murdered by a terrorist, leaving behind a wife and four children. Palestinian “leaders” have praised the killer. Praying for the BenGal family.”
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas’s spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeineh said in response to that tweet that “the statements by the US ambassador lead us to wonder about the ambassador's relationship with the occupation: Does he represent the US or Israel?"
Rudeineh charged that “the ambassador’s advice and consultations, which are not aimed at achieving a just peace based on international legality, have led to this crisis in US–Palestinian relations.”
And in January, after the murder of Rabbi Raziel Shevach near Havat Gilad, Friedman tweeted: “An Israeli father of six was killed last night in cold blood by Palestinian terrorists. Hamas praises the killers and PA laws will provide them financial rewards. Look no further to why there is no peace. Praying for the bereaved Shevach family.”
That tweet elicited this response from the PA: “The American ambassador in Tel Aviv is known for his predetermined positions, which reflect a total bias in favor of the occupation and settlement."
This article has been adapted from its original source.
