The Palestinian Authority (PA) tore into Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Saturday for chastising Palestine leader Mahmoud Abbas for conducting peace talks with Israel, according to CNN.
"He who does not represent the Iranian people, who forged elections and who suppresses the Iranian people and stole the authority, is not entitled to talk about Palestine, or the President of Palestine," said Nabil Abu Rudeineh, a PA spokesperson.
Palestine responded to comments Ahmadinejad made on Friday at Tehran University when he said the Mideast peace talks would fail. The Iranian leader delivered the message on Quds Day, an annual showing of Iran's solidarity with Palestine against Israeli occupation.
"We did not repress our people, as did Iran led by Ahmadinejad," Rudeineh added.
Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met in Washington this week, where both expressed a desire to move the peace process forward, however, after two days of meetings they deadlocked over the issue of Israeli settlements on the West Bank.
"The fate of Palestine will be determined on the ground in Palestine," Ahmadinejad said Friday. "Not in Washington, not in Paris, and not in London."
Rudeineh also defended the Abbas administration's legitimacy among Palestinians:
"We have fought for Palestine and Jerusalem and the Palestinian leadership has provided thousands of martyrs and tens of thousands wounded and prisoners (and) did not repress their people, as did the system of Iran led by Ahmadinejad," he said.
Earlier this week, Egypt canceled a visit by Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki for accusing Arabs of selling out:
"Some leaders ... who follow America's orders must understand that they are betraying their nations.”
U.S. President Barack Obama hosted hosted Netanyahu, Abbas, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Jordan's King Abdullah at a dinner yesterday. Obama said he was pleased with the talks so far and U.S. officials claimed a sincere and open conversation took place on the possibilities for progress in the peace process.
Preparations will begin this week for the second round of talks, scheduled for September 14 at Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt.
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