PLO doesn’t accept scrapping the Arab Peace Initiative

The Secretary General of the Palestine Liberation Organisation’s Executive Committee reiterated on Wednesday that it does not accept the scrapping of the Arab Peace Initiative, Quds Net News has reported. Saeb Erekat added that the PLO backs the Palestinian Authority’s rejection of Israel’s annexation plan.

“We do not agree to turn the PA into the servant of the Israeli occupation,” he told Al Najah Radio. Annexation, stressed Erekat, is a “trick tactic” adopted by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump.

“We have 192 states opposing the annexation,” explained the veteran PLO negotiator. “We asked these states to adopt one extra principle to their opposition: including words and phrases that deter the occupation. Some countries did and others did not.”

Erekat pointed out that annexation is a “war crime” and that sanctions should be imposed on Israel if it goes ahead with the plan. He praised the Belgian Parliament for threatening sanctions if this happens.

“We will not sit on the table to discuss the annexation or the deal of the century,” he insisted, “because they are proposals to legitimise the occupation of Palestinian lands.”

The PLO, concluded Erekat, has a national programme and is sticking to the Arab Peace Initiative.

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