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Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has congratulated Donald Trump on his second election to the US presidency, stressing his readiness to work with the president-elect to work out a solution to the plight of the Palestinian people.
Abbas conveyed his message in a congratulatory letter to Trump, who shocked American observers and the rest of the world with a large victory over the Democrats’ Kamala Harris in what many expected would be a closely contested fight for the election of America’s 47th commander-in-chief.
In the congratulatory cable, Abbas stressed his commitment to the Palestinian people’s pursuit of freedom, noting that his people will continue to fight for peace and its right to a country and the respect of their rights to exit and be treated with respect.
He laid out his hopes for the second Trump administration, saying: “We are confident that the United States will support, under your leadership, the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people.”
The US presidential election was fought on the heels of global anticipation, with even some of Trump’s once fiercest critics in the US and abroad embracing his potential return to the White House as a way of punishing the Biden-Harris administration for the Gaza genocide.
Yet others worry that Trump, Known for his unapologetic support of Israel, may not deliver in favor of a much-needed ceasefire in Gaza and Lebanon.
Shortly after Trump’s victory became official, the office of Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu celebrated what it saw as the return of a true friend and ally of Israel.
Throughout his campaign, Trump vowed to bring peace to the region, raising questions about how he will navigate the ongoing situation.
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Last week, the Times of Israel reported Trump as telling Netanyahu that he wanted Israel to wrap up the war on Gaza by the “time he returns to office.”
Quoting two sources familiar with the matter, the Israeli news outlet said the message was conveyed to Netanyahu in July.
“While Trump has publicly confirmed having told Netanyahu that he wants Israel to win the war quickly, the sources speaking to the Times of Israel are the first to reveal that a timeline was attached to that request,” the report said.
Earlier today, Reuters reported that Trump’s win is seen as a “new catastrophe in the history of the Palestinian people.”
A Palestinian source told Reuters: “Despite the destruction, death, and displacement that we have witnessed, what is coming will be more difficult, it will be politically devastating.”
Meanwhile, Hamas responded to Trump’s reelection by calling for an end to America’s“blind support for Israel.”
“We urge Trump to learn from Biden’s mistakes,” Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri told Reuters, noting that the president-elect will be tested on his promise to “stop the war within hours of taking office.”
