RAMALLAH, March 19 (Xinhua) -- Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Monday slammed the U.S. ambassador to Israel as a "settler" and "son of a dog."

Aired Monday night on the official Palestine Satellite Channel, Abbas' remarks were made at the opening of a meeting of the members of Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) executive committee and his Fatah Central Committee held in the city of Ramallah.

"The U.S. administration claims that Israeli settlement is legitimate, and this is what more than one U.S. official said, including their ambassador in Tel Aviv David Friedman," Abbas said.

He then angrily stressed the "Son of a dog (Friedman) says they (Israelis) are building in their land. He is a settler and his family members are settlers."

The Palestinians have already criticized Friedman for his positions and statements that support Israel and its settlement expansion.

The ties between Palestine and the United States have been witnessing rising tensions since last October, and peaked when U.S. President Donald Trump recognized on Dec. 6, 2017 Jerusalem as a capital of Israel and ordered the moving of the U.S. embassy to the city.

On Feb. 23, the United States announced its embassy will be moved from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem by May 14, in honor of the 70th anniversary of Israel's declaration of independence, which further agitated the wrath of Muslim world.