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Abbas: ‘Normalisation between Israel and Arab countries will not achieve peace’

August 26, 2020 at 11:11 am

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas attends a executive council meeting of Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) in Ramallah, West Bank on 7 May 2020 [Issam Rimawi/Anadolu Agency]

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said on Tuesday that peace in the region will not be achieved by Israel “leaping over the Palestinians towards normalising relations with Arab countries.” He made his comment in reference to the recently announced agreement between Israel and the UAE.

“There will be neither peace nor stability in the region without the Palestinian people gaining their independence,” Abbas told British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab in their meeting at the Palestinian Presidency in Ramallah. “Israel is still building settlements and has not abandoned the annexation plan [in the West Bank]. These practices will destroy any peace process.”

Raab affirmed Britain’s commitment to the two-state solution and rejection of the Israeli annexation plan. “We want to see an improvement in the lives of the Palestinian people that could come through peace based on a negotiated process between Israel and the Palestinians,” he added.

The British official arrived in Ramallah from Jerusalem where he met a number of Israeli officials.

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With deal, UAE abandons Palestinian struggle - Cartoon [Sabaaneh/MiddleEastMonitor]

With deal, UAE abandons Palestinian struggle – Cartoon [Sabaaneh/MiddleEastMonitor]