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US official: Dissolving PA would have 'grave implications'

May 4, 2014 at 9:24 am

Dissolving the Palestinian Authority (PA) would have “grave implications” and Palestinians would be the losers, spokesperson of the US Department of State Jen Psaki said on Monday.


“That type of extreme step would obviously have grave implications,” Psaki warned, adding that “a great deal of effort has gone into building Palestinian institutions by Palestinians as well as the international community, and it would certainly not be in the interests of the Palestinian people for all of that to be lost.”

She also noted that taking such a step would affect the US relationship with the Palestinian people, including the issue of development aid. “It would obviously have very serious implications for our relationship, including our assistance going forward.”

Psaki asserted that US diplomacy is carrying out much effort in order to get the negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians back on track after the latest stalemate, which happened after Israel balked at releasing the fourth batch of veteran Palestinian prisoners as previously agreed.

Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned the PA against moving closer to the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas, as the media is abuzz about the imminent meetings between leaders of both sides in Gaza.

“Yesterday, the Palestinians spoke about dissolving the PA,” Netanyahu said, and yet “today, they are speaking about unity with Hamas.”

He concluded: “They have to decide what exactly they want: to dissolve the PA or to unite with Hamas?”

On the Palestinian side, PA President Mahmoud Abbas headed a meeting for the executive committee of Fatah in Ramallah. The members of the committee discussed several issues, including support for the president’s decision not to accept any extension of the talks with Israel unless they are based on a clear framework.

This framework would have to include the international resolutions that guarantee the establishment of a Palestinian state on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.

They also stressed that the framework must deal with the refugee issue based on UN resolution 194 and the Arab peace initiative, refusing any unilateral measures by Israel regarding settlement.

Regarding reconciliation with Hamas, the committee asserted its full support for the efforts of the Fatah delegation heading to Gaza, which aims to discuss the Qatari and Egyptian agreements, including the formation of a national unity government and setting the dates for general elections.

The senior Fatah leaders also decided to form a committee headed by Abbas to prepare for holding the seventh conference of the oldest secular Palestinian movement.