PLO says Palestinian reconciliation will hit those opposed to UN membership

The Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) has said that national reconciliation will remove one of the excuses used by opponents of Palestine’s membership of the UN. “Some parties questioned Palestine’s eligibility for membership as long as the division remained,” said a statement from the Committee.

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At a meeting on Tuesday in Ramallah, in the presence of PA President Mahmoud Abbas, the Executive Committee called for “real progress towards national reconciliation and comprehensive elections”. With presidential, legislative and National Council elections, the PLO believes that Palestinians will be able to develop a unified political vision, vital in the face of regional political events.

The PLO condemned the continued retention of the Palestinian tax revenue by the Israeli government, considering it an act of “piracy”. Approaches should be made to international bodies, it said, including the UN Security Council, to release the funds belonging to the Palestinian people.

Appreciation was expressed by the PLO for the efforts made by the Middle East Quartet with regards to the political process based on the principles included in its recent statement. These include acceptance of the terms of reference for the political process, especially Israel’s recognition of the 1967 borders and an end to all provocative acts such as illegal settlement building across the occupied West Bank and Jerusalem.