Senior PLO official Hanan Ashrawi on Monday condemned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for "cynically exploiting" last week's deadly attacks in Paris by comparing them to Palestinian acts of violence. "Netanyahu is cynically exploiting the pain of the innocent victims of Daesh (Islamic State) terrorism in Paris in order to create a misleading linkage and to justify Israeli state terror against the Palestinian people, while presenting Israel as the victim," Ashrawi said in a statement. "In fact, Israel is an occupying power," she said, noting that Israel's occupation "has habitually terrorized Palestinian civilians, stolen their land and resources, and demolished their homes." At Israel's weekly cabinet meeting on Sunday, Netanyahu likened Palestinian attacks on Israelis to the deadly attacks in Paris that claimed the lives of 129 civilians. The Islamic State group later claimed responsibility. "In Israel, as in France, terrorism is terrorism and standing behind it is radical Islam and its desire to destroy its victims," Netanyahu said. Ashrawi slammed the Israeli prime minister for "disingenuously claim(ing) self-defense while labeling any form of Palestinian reaction as 'terrorism.' ... Nowhere else is a ruthless occupier presenting itself as the victim and justifying its atrocities as self-defense." She accused Netanyahu of "attempting to exploit the cruel and inhuman terrorism of ISIS in order to score cheap political points at the expense of the Palestinian people. His statements are not only fraudulent and politically coercive, they are symptomatic of political and moral bankruptcy." After comparing the Paris attacks to the killing of two Israeli settlers in Hebron last week, Netanyahy said: "The time has come for countries to condemn terrorism against us to the same degree that they condemn terrorism everywhere else in the world." He called on Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbad -- who along with other Palestinian leaders, including those in Hamas, extended his sympathy and solidarity to France following the attacks -- to "condemn the ruthless terrorism against innocent people in Israel." He said: "We are not to blame for the terrorism directed against us, just as the French are not to blame for the terrorism directed against them. It is the terrorists who are to blame for terrorism, not the territories, not the settlements and not any other thing. "It is the desire to destroy us that perpetuates this conflict and drives the murderous aggression against us." He added that it was "thanks to our aggressive policy" -- including raids into Palestinian villages, and the demolition of alleged attackers' homes -- that meant "more serious disasters" had been avoided. Since a wave of unrest swept the occupied Palestinian territory at the beginning of October, more than 80 Palestinians and 15 Israelis have been killed. Israel says that more than half the Palestinians shot dead by Israeli forces were attempting to carry out knife attacks, although Palestinians and rights groups have disputed many of these cases. Israel has sought to blame the unrest on religious incitement through social media, whereas Palestinians have pointed to Israel's nearly 50-year military occupation of the Palestinian territory, no prospect of a political solution, and a deep sense of frustration and despair.
