Abbas says Israel, not Palestinians, committing 'ethnic cleansing'

After viewing the video clip that was circulated on social media, U.S. State Department spokeswoman Elizabeth Trudeau said at a briefing in Washington that the Israeli leader's words were "inappropriate and unhelpful".

This past weekend, the administration critiqued Netanyahu on this issue by slamming Netanyahu's arguments that the only side that could rightfully be accused of "ethnic cleansing" was the Palestinians who refuse to have Jews live in a future Palestinian state.

Most countries view Israeli West Bank settlements as illegal and an obstacle to peace.

In the video released this week, the Israeli prime minister likens residents of the settlements to Arabs born in Israel, adding that: "No one would seriously claim that the almost 2 million Arabs living inside Israel - that they're an obstacle to peace", he said.

The former lawyer claimed Palestinians living in Israel "enjoy the strongest human and civil rights in the region" and said "there is no better place for Arabs to live in the Middle East than Israel". "That's because they aren't".

Abbas said he was ready to meet with Netanyahu to discuss restarting peace talks.

Netanyahu has repeatedly stated that he is willing to meet with the Palestinian leader anytime, without preconditions.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu chairs the weekly Cabinet meeting at his office in Jerusalem, Sept. 11, 2016.

Prime Minister Netanyahu certainly knew what sort of response his video would get when he chose to use the term ethnic cleansing.

But Mr Friedman leapt to to Mr Netanyahu's defence in an email exchange with Israeli newspaper Haaretz.

The "world must now begin to hold this government responsible, and must not suffice with statements and denouncements, but require real and immediate accountability", he said.

In releasing the video, which Benjamin Netanyahu posted on both his Twitter and Facebook accounts, the Prime Minister clearly wishes to turn the tables on his and Israel's detractors. "But Netanyahu wants to keep all his options open in case Hillary does win, as opposed to what happened with his failed bet on Romney in 2012".

Judea and Samaria are biblical references to the West Bank.

"Would you accept ethnic cleansing in your state?"

He then continued by asking viewers if they would find it acceptable to have "a territory without Jews, without Hispanics, without blacks".

"The Prime Minister's statement was entirely appropriate and his reference to ethnic cleansing is not out of order in any respect", said Zell, a resident of the Gush Etzion settlement of Tekoa, who also serves as vice president of the worldwide organization Republicans Overseas. Palestinians want West Bank land as part of a future state.

"Netanyahu did his homework", a senior Israeli official in Jerusalem told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity.

"Prime Minister Bettel invited me to Luxembourg but he also said maybe the Palestinians will come there", Netanyahu said.