Shaath: The PA to join 48 international organisations and treaties at the end of April

Member of the Fatah Central Committee Nabil Shaath confirmed that the Palestinian Authority will not stop at joining 15 international conventions, and that after April 29, which marks the end of the nine month deadline of negotiations with Israel, the PA will seek membership in 48 international organisations and treaties.

In a statement made yesterday, Shaath said: “We can no longer make any further concessions after giving up 78 per cent of our land to Israel. In addition to this, the meetings taking place between the Israeli and Palestinian negotiators, sponsored by the US, aim to prolong the negotiations.”

He added: “Even if we go back to the negotiations in the future, we will come back with a vision and on the basis of international legitimacy. We will not accept a return to negotiations without a state on the 1967 borders, without East Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine and with the acceptance of international forces. We cannot offer any more concessions; isn’t it enough we gave up 78 per cent of our land to Israel? We will not recognise Israel as a Jewish state.”

Shaath stressed that the PA has developed a vision based on the PA’s desire for true peace that is based on references that have been put in place for 20 years to be used as the framework for negotiations, in addition to doing everything possible to pressure Israel.

He said that Israel is now talking about partially reducing settlements without announcing new tenders and the release of 400 prisoners of Israel’s choosing, this is unacceptable to the Palestinians Shaath said noting that “there is no such thing as a framework agreement; Israel invented this, and the rule was setting a nine month deadline to reach a final solution by means of negotiations, but Israel wants a framework for negotiations and not a framework for a solution.”

Shaath also added that the US administration is now studying the feasibility of continuing negotiations, so if it finds that it serves its interests, the US will continue to mediate the negotiations, but Israel must be pressured in light of the lack of Arab pressure as it was in the past, when Iraq, Syria and Libya were in the picture.

He stressed that the Palestinian president will ask for a financial aid from Arab countries during the Arab League meeting next Wednesday in order to meet the needs of the PA in the event Israel stops transferring tax revenues.

Shaath stressed: “Saudi Arabia will continue its support, as well as Algeria and the rest of the states.” He also said they will demand that countries with strong ties with the United States refrain from trying to force matters the Palestinians will not accept.