PA deputy: We accept the one-state solution with Israel

The Palestinian Authority accepts a one-state solution with Israel on the condition that everyone lives equally in the state, but Israel does not accept this, the recently appointed Deputy to PA President Mahmoud Abbas said.

In an interview with London’s Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper today, Mahmoud Al-Aloul said: “We do not hastily make judgements on appearances. For example, if the one-state solution is proposed with Israel’s conditions, i.e. one state and an apartheid government, then this is rejected. However, we were the first to propose a one-state solution that is a democratic state in which everyone lives.”

“The one-state solution that we have been talking about is a democratic state in which everyone lives equally, and this is acceptable. However, we know that Israel will not accept it; there is no way they will agree to it.”

“They want a purely Jewish state, that is why they are demanding that we recognise the Jewish state. We proposed a one-state solution in the past and we have no problem accepting it on our terms,” said Al-Aloul.

In response to the question of the Palestinian position on US President Donald Trump, he said: “His policies are completely different to all the past American policies and therefore we are facing a mystery. It has been a disappointing introduction thus far, but we are doing out best and making efforts to overcome this.”

“We communicate with him and his administration. We have contacted them directly and via Arab leaderships as well. They said they are studying the issue and we still do not know what the American policy will be like in the upcoming phase.”