Ahmed Qureia, a top Palestinian Authority (PA) negotiator and former PA prime minister, has threatened that Palestinians will use more terrorism to murder Jews if they do not obtain whatever they demand in negotiations. Quereia stated in a meeting with newly-elected Kadima chairwoman, Israeli Foreign Affairs Minister Tzipi Livni, that, “The Palestinians will continue to negotiate. But, if the talks reached a dead end, what do we do? Capitulate? Resistance in all its forms is a legitimate right.” Asked whether he was saying the Palestinians might resume suicide bombings and attacks inside Israel, Qureia responded, “All forms of resistance.” Livni responded by saying that peace talks will not stall while she tries to form a new coalition government (‘Ahmed Qureia: Violence ‘legitimate’ if talks fail,’ Yediot Ahronot, September 23, 2008).

ZOA National President Morton A. Klein said, “The Palestinian Authority, as it has demonstrated in countless ways over the years, clearly supports and advocates the use of terrorism, as Qureia put it, as a ‘legitimate right’ and even has the effrontery to threaten the Israeli leadership with an intensification of its use if the PA doesn’t get everything it demands from Israel in negotiations.

“We are appalled, not only by Qureia’s brazen words legitimizing the use of terrorism against innocent civilians, a war crime, but by the fact that Ms. Livni did not walk out of the meeting. It is bad enough that Israel has continued negotiating with the PA despite its complete failure to jail terrorists and disband their organizations and end the incitement to hatred and murder in the PA controlled media, mosques, schools and youth camps that feed terror. It is worse that it tolerates threats of murdering Jews indicating that Palestinians feel entitled to commit war crimes whenever they do not get what they want.

“It is now crystal clear that the PA is an evil entity committed to murder and suicide bombings against Jewish people. The ZOA renews it long-standing call on the Israeli and American governments to cut all ties with Mahmoud Abbas’ PA and to cease all diplomatic, military and financial support to it until and unless it fulfills its Oslo commitments to put an end to terrorism and the incitement that nurtures it.”