Senior Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat 4 November 2010. (Reuters)
Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erakat accused Al-Jazeera television on Tuesday of participating in a campaign aimed at overthrowing the Palestinian Authority.
His accusations were made two days after the Doha-based satellite channel began releasing more than 1,600 documents known as "The Palestine Papers."
The files expose some of the concessions offered to Israel during 10 years of secret peace talks and have embarrassed and angered the Palestinian leadership.
Speaking to AFP, Erakat accused Al-Jazeera of trying provoke the Palestinian people into "a revolution against their leaders in order to bring down the Palestinian political system."
He also attacked the station for participating in what he suggested was a US-Israeli "campaign" aimed at "overthrowing the Palestinian Authority because it is refusing to engage in (peace) negotiations while settlement activity continues and because it insists on going to the (UN) Security Council."
Labelling the leaks "despicable incitement," Erakat accused the channel of "implementing a plan on behalf of (Israeli Prime Minister) Benjamin Netanyahu and (Foreign Minister Avigdor) Lieberman," aimed at sabotaging Palestinian attempts to secure their promised state through diplomatic offensives.
"We are at a stage of unprecedented resistance and we're being made to pay the price for this," he said, as the Palestinians pursue plans to seek a UN Security Council resolution against Israeli settlement activity.
His comments echoed a series of allegations made by senior Palestinian officials on Monday in which they denounced Al-Jazeera and accused Qatar, where the channel is based, of trying to sabotage the Palestinian Authority.
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