The Palestinian Authority's envoy to the United Nations Human Rights Council, Ibrahim Khreisheh, suggested that all Jews living in Israel should return to their countries of origin, according to a video translated by the Middle East Media Research Institute.
During an interview with Palestinian Authority TV on Feb. 4, Khreisheh argued that Jews are not native to Israel and colonized Palestine to create the current Jewish state, implying that the Jewish people have no historical connection to the land.
"Our problem is that the Jews came to Palestine from outside the region, colonized it, and established their own state," Khreisheh said.
He cited the Jewish exodus from Egypt in ancient times as a past example of Jews conquering Palestinians and taking over the land of Palestine, what he terms the "Promised Land," and argues this practice is being continued today with Israeli settlements in the West Bank.
"The historical stories about their exodus, and about how they left Egypt for Palestine, which they call the ‘Promised Land’ ... this Promised Land within Israel is not large enough for them, and they have begun to take over our lands in the West Bank, with their settlements."
Khreisheh then referenced Russian president Vladimir Putin's statement from last month in which he said Jews who left the Soviet Union to flee persecution are welcome to return to Russia to escape growing anti-Semitism in Europe and the Middle East.
Putin made his comment at an event with Moshe Vyacheslav Kantor, president of the European Jewish Congress.
"I believe that President Putin's message is very important," Khreisheh said, before adding that other European and Arab countries should take back Jews so Palestinians can control all of Israel.
"It may be useful to consider asking other countries—Arab countries, European countries, and other foreign countries - to allow the Jews to return to their former lands and homes."
"Then we, the Palestinians, will return to be the way we were ... We never had people from Poland the Ukraine, Switzerland, France, or England," Khreisheh said.