PA confirms that Abu Dis offered as future Palestinian capital

The Palestinians are being offered the village of Abu Dis as the future capital of an independent state, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas confirmed yesterday, according to the Jerusalem Post.

The revelation was made during Abbas’ speech at a meeting of the Palestinian Central Council, the Palestine Liberation Organisation’s second-highest decision-making body.

“What would you want if Jerusalem were to be lost? Would you want to make a state with Abu Dis as its capital? That’s what they are offering us now. Abu Dis,” he said.

Whilst Abbas did not specify who had proposed the village be established as Palestine’s capital, it comes days after the Palestinian leadership announced that it had been informed of the proposed US peace deal by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman.

We can say no to anyone… And we have now said ‘no’ to Trump and others. No, we will not accept his plan. We told him that the deal of the era is the slap of the era… We will repel it.

The proposed peace deal is also believed to include land swaps in the Sinai region, a plan Israel reportedly put to former US President Barack Obama during his term in office. The plan would see Israel annex massive areas of the occupied West Bank in exchange for areas bordering the Gaza Strip.

UK must recognise State of Palestine

In the aftermath of US President Donald Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, Palestinian Authority officials suspended all communication with American officials, with Abbas refusing to take senior advisor Jared Kushner’s phone calls.

In response, Trump’s threated to cut funding to the Palestinians if they do not resume negotiations with the US.

The PA and the international community have given their support to a two-state solution with East Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine. Abbas used his speech to reiterate the importance of abiding by the resolution.

“I’m with the two states…according to international legitimacy and the Arab Peace Initiative, the State of Palestine along 1967 borders,” he said.

Palestine minister: US responsible for Israel settlement expansion