PLO calls for French conference to adhere to international law

France must respect international law and make it a reference for the prospective international peace conference, the Anadolu Agency reported a senior PLO official saying yesterday.

Member of PLO Executive Committee Hanan Ashrawi said that the Palestinians are still looking for a programme, goals and “obligatory” timeframe to end the Israeli occupation.

Meanwhile, she called for an “urgent” international intervention to stop illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank and Jerusalem, as well as to put pressure on Israel in order to commit to the agreements signed with the PLO.

“There’s no point in talks if settlements continue,” she said. “We need international pressure to seriously question Israel.”

In mid-February a spokesperson for the Israeli foreign ministry announced that France had officially proposed that Tel Aviv call for holding an international conference to revive the stalled peace talks.

Last month, France announced that it would recognise a Palestinian state if ongoing efforts to revive peace talks failed, noting that it had started to prepare for an international conference which would include the participation of the US and European partners.