PA President Mahmoud Abbas: May the Deal of the Century Go to Hell; We Will Not Accept Bahrain Economic Workshop Or Its Results

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas spoke at an event honoring donors to the Mahmoud Abbas Foundation. In his address, which aired on Palestine TV on May 27, 2019, Abbas expressed his hope that the Deal of the Century – which he referred to as the "Deal of Shame" – will "go to Hell." He also said that the Palestinian Authority will not accept the economic workshop in Bahrain or its results because, according to him, the only way to solve the Palestinian issue is by dealing with the political issues. Abbas said the workshop is nothing more than "illusions" and that the money promised to the Palestinians will never arrive, and he added that when the Palestinian cause is resolved, the Palestinian will not need foreign aid because they will have an independent and modern Palestinian state.

Mahmoud Abbas: "May our situation improve when we meet [next year]. May our cause progress, step by step. May we achieve, Allah willing, the independent Palestinian state, with Jerusalem as its capital. May the Deal of the Century – the Deal of Shame – go to Hell. The same goes for the [Bahrain] economic workshop that they are planning for next month, in order to sell us more and more illusions. May it also go to Hell! We have had our say about this workshop and we reiterate it all the time. We have published the necessary information. I hereby declare: We will not accept this meeting and its results, because they are selling us illusions, and because whoever wants to resolve the Palestinian issue should start with the political issue, and [afterwards] deal with the political issue some more, then some more, and only then may he talk about the illusion of the billions that they claim they will give us. Let me tell you: None of that money will ever arrive. We are not pinning any hopes on this money and will not accept it, because our cause is political par excellence. Besides, when the cause is resolved, we will not need their aid. Through your efforts, and thanks to our people, we will be able to build a modern state."