The speech by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the United Nations General Assembly on Thursday victimizes the criminal and blames the victim, said Saeb Erekat, secretary general of the Palestine Liberation Organization.

"Netanyahu’s speech is a combination of old and well-known talking points that conclude on victimizing the criminal and blaming the victim," he said. "His speech further exposes Israel’s systematic denial of our right to exist, to live in freedom and to celebrate our national identity."

Erekat said that the reality on the ground in occupied Palestine is "a manifestation of what Israel is: a colonial- apartheid state."

He added: "Despite the oppression, racism and daily violence, the proud and resilient people of Palestine will continue to remain steadfast and to believe in the achievement of our inalienable rights, to live in freedom and in dignity. For the Israeli government, not only the issues of Jerusalem and the Palestinian refugees are off the table, but also Palestine's very existence."