Mahmoud Abbas apologises for saying Holocaust was caused by money-lending Jews

"I would like to assure everyone that it was not my intention to do so, and to reiterate my full respect for the Jewish faith, as well as other monotheistic faiths.

"I would also like to reiterate our long held condemnation of the Holocaust, as the most heinous crime in history, and express our sympathy with its victims.

"Likewise, we condemn anti-Semitism in all its forms, and confirm our commitment to the two-state solution, and to live side by side in peace and security."

During his length speech on Monday, Mr Abbas had described what he termed the causes of antisemitism in Europe in the 20th century, saying these views were based on books written by Jewish authors.

“The conclusion of these books is that animosity toward Jews was not because of their religion, but because of their social activities,” he said, listing money-lending among them.