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Abbas Zaki (Template:Lang-ar) is the former representative of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) in Lebanon and a member of Fatah's central committee.

Zaki has made a number of controversial statements. In 2014, he stated that Israelis "are an advanced instrument of evil ... I believe that God will gather them so we can kill them." In 2023, he expressed support for Hamas's October 7 attack, a statement that was later disavowed by another Fatah official, who clarified that it did not represent the group's official position.

Views

Palestinian politics

As a result of the conflict in the Nahr al-Bared Camp in Lebanon, Zaki proposed setting up a Palestinian security force of 4,000 to 5,000 members in the refugee camps in Lebanon to prevent the formation of extremist groups.

Zaki described Fatah al-Islam as "an ignorant group, hiding themselves behind Islam, and practicing the most ugly crimes against women and children in the camp of Nahr al Barid." In May 2009, Zaki suggested that if unity talks between Hamas and Fatah in Cairo fail, Abbas should form a new government that will lay out a new approach to Hamas.

Ahead of Fatah's sixth conference on August 4, 2009, Zaki stated "I'm sorry to compare, but the Israelis elected Lieberman and appointed him as Foreign Minister, and a similar mistake was made by the Palestinian people in electing Hamas, which is setting up all the obstacles preventing the improvement of the national unity."

Israel

In response to United States president Barack Obama's U.N. Speech on Palestinian Statehood on September 23, 2011, Zaki called Obama and Benjamin Netanyahu "trash", and said "The greater goal cannot be accomplished in one go.... If Israel withdraws from Jerusalem, evacuates the 650,000 settlers, and dismantles the wall – what will become of Israel? It will come to an end."

In a statement which aired on the official Palestinian Authority TV channel on March 12, 2014 (as translated by MEMRI), Zaki stated "Those Israelis have no religion and no principles. They are nothing but advanced tools for evil. They talk about the Holocaust and so on. So why are they doing this to us? Therefore, in my view, Allah will gather them so that we can kill them. Every killer is bound to be killed. There is no other option."

In 2015, Zaki praised Samir Kuntar, a Lebanese terrorist responsible for the 1979 Nahariya attack, who later became a senior Hezbollah official after his release from prison. Zaki called Kuntar a "national hero" and a "Palestinian martyr," despite Kuntar being from Lebanon, and vowed to continue his path "until all Arab and Palestinian soil is purged of the Zionist occupation and its criminal gangs."

In 2023, following the October 7 attacks, Zaki thanked Hamas and the PIJ on the Hezbollah-affiliated Al-Mayadeen channel for their actions, stating that these groups "know how to obtain the lifting of the blockade and the withdrawal of the occupation from the West Bank." In response, an unnamed Fatah official was quoted as saying that Zaki "only represents himself."

Iran

Zaki has advocated for an Arab-Iranian dialogue "on the basis of good neighboring."

United States

In a 2015 Syrian news interview, Zaki stated that the United States has intisgated a "constructive anarchy" in the Middle East, leading the Middle East down a "destructive path." He described the U.S. as a "destructive anarchy" and asserted that it "is destroying itself by its own hand." Zaki accused the United States of creating the Islamic State, stating that they "created IS, but cannot control it. Some countries that used to be American allies are now looking for a savior, because they realized that the administration cannot help them or make any agreement with them."

In 2018, Zaki blamed the United States "and its slaves" for attempting to shift the Arab–Israeli conflict into a Shia–Sunni divide. He emphasized that such efforts would not deter Palestinians and Arabs from their struggle with Israel.

See also

• List of Fatah members

References

1. ^ Abbas Zaki: "Fatah Al Islam an ignorant group, hiding behind Islam" Ma'an News Agency. 2007-05-26. Archived December 22, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
2. ^ Miller, Elhanan (2014-03-13). "Fatah official: 'God will gather Israelis so we can kill them'". Times of Israel.
3. ^ Pacchiani, Gianluca (2023-10-15). "Fatah disavows pro-Hamas statement made by prominent member". Times of Israel.
4. "PLO Lebanon official calls for Palestinian force in refugee camps". Haaretz. Associated Press. 2007-06-07. Retrieved 2014-01-17.
5. Zaki: Abbas will form new government if Cairo talks fail Ma'an News Agency. 2009-05-05. Archived December 22, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
6. "Zaki compares 'unfortunate' election of Hamas to that of Lieberman". Ma'an News Agency. 2009-08-04. Archived from the original on 2012-02-16. Retrieved 2014-01-17.
7. "Fatah Central Committee Member Abbas Zaki Calls Netanyahu and Obama 'Scumbags' and Says: 'The Greater Goal Cannot Be Accomplished in One Go'". MEMRI. 2011-09-25. Retrieved 2014-01-17.
8. Fatah Central Committee Member Abbas Zaki: Allah Will Gather the Israelis So We Can Kill Them, MEMRI, Clip No. 4191 (transcript), March 12, 2014 (video clip available here).
9. PA: 'Allah Will Gather Israelis So We Can Kill Them' by Ari Yashar, Arutz Sheva, March 13, 2014.
10. Fatah Official: Allah Will Gather Israelis so We Can Kill Them by Lori Lowenthal Marcus, Jewish Press, March 13, 2013.
11. Algemeiner, The (2015-12-22). "Fatah Member Hails Assassinated Arch-Terrorist Kuntar as 'National Hero' in Condolence Letter to Hezbollah Chief - Algemeiner.com". www.algemeiner.com. Retrieved 2024-09-01.
12. ^ Abu Toameh, Khaled (2018-03-06). "At Hezbollah event, Fatah official urges dialogue with Iran". Times of Israel.
13. ^ Ari Gross, Judah (2015-06-09). "Palestinian official: United States created Islamic State". Times of Israel.

• Living people
• 1942 births
• People from Sa'ir
• People from Mandatory Palestine
• Palestinian politicians
• Palestine Liberation Organization members
• Central Committee of Fatah members
• Ambassadors of the State of Palestine to Lebanon