Shaath: Israeli sanctions will not stop us from pursuing our political struggle

Fatah’s Commissioner for International Relations Nabil Shaath has said that Palestinians have several diplomatic options to choose from, stressing that Israeli sanctions will not stop the Palestinian people from seeking to join international treaties and organisations.

His remarks came during a meeting between the Palestinian International Relations Commission and a German delegation. Shaath attended the meeting along with the deputy commissioner for international relations, Mahmoud Al-Labdi.

Shaath explained to the German delegation the reasons why the US brokered peace negotiations have stumbled, holding the Israeli side responsible and citing Israel’s refusal to release the fourth batch of Palestinian prisoners as previously agreed, as well as its insistence on building hundreds of new housing units in East Jerusalem settlements.

He highlighted the need for international pressure to compel the Israeli government to abide by the understandings that have been reached in order for negotiations to succeed. Shaath spoke about the need to reach a resolution rooted in international law to guarantee that Palestinians attain their basic rights of freedom and self-determination.

He said that the Palestinian leadership is still working toward joining all international treaties and conventions despite Israeli sanctions, because this is a normal right for the Palestinian state especially after Palestine gained an observer status at the United Nations.

He added that the Palestinian leadership is committed to peaceful resistance against the occupation and seeks to isolate Israel internationally.

For their part, the members of the German delegation expressed their full support for the Palestinian people and their right to establish an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital.