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Erekat: Netanyahu-Gantz coalition threatens security, peace in Middle East

April 22, 2020 at 8:47 am

PLO Secretary-General Saeb Erekat [PNNEnglish/Facebook]

Secretary-General of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO), Saeb Erekat, said that any Israeli coalition government based on the annexation of Palestinian lands will threaten security and peace in the Middle East.

In a statement issued on Monday evening in response to the agreement between the outgoing Israeli Prime Minister and Likud leader, Benjamin Netanyahu, and head of the Blue and White (Kahol Lavan) party, Benny Gantz, to form a national unity government.

“Any Israeli government coalition based on annexing more occupied Palestinian land will not only pose a clear threat to the global political system with regard to international law, but it will also threaten peace, security, and stability in the entire Middle East region,” Erekat said.

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“The next Israeli government will have two options: either to pave the way for launching a meaningful peace process or to work on endangering peace, carry on the annexations project, plunder the land and expand the settlements.”

Erekat called on the international community to assume its responsibility to hold the Israeli occupation government accountable and to demand the full implementation of its obligations under international law and signed agreements.

He continued: “We expect support from the international community to facilitate a meaningful peace process based on international law and relevant United Nations resolutions.”

On Monday, Netanyahu and Gantz signed an agreement to form a national emergency government on the principle of power-sharing.

The agreement stipulates that a bill to annex the Jordan Valley and settlements in the Occupied West Bank will be proposed in early July.