PA seeks Arab support for international peace conference

The Palestinian Authority has called on Arab countries to support its planned international peace conference, the New Khaleej news website reported on Monday.

“In light of recent international developments after the US election, there will be a new page in international relations,” said Social Affairs Minister Ahmed Majdalani. “It will have an impact on the region and the Palestinian-Israeli peace process.”

The minister noted that the recent visit by PA President Mahmoud Abbas to Jordan and Egypt was successful and aimed to revive tripartite dialogue in which they would be involved.

Majdalani’s comments followed Israeli media reports that Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi has agreed with Abbas that his government will issue a separate invitation to the Israeli and PA foreign ministers to go to Egypt for talks on restarting negotiations.

As US President Donald Trump’s term in office nears its end, the PA is planning to achieve some degree of “Arab consensus” before it holds a conference when President-elect Joe Biden takes office in January.

“We are seeking a tripartite Arab dialogue or more, and even a dialogue within the framework of the Arab League,” explained Majdalani, “for the sake of political and diplomatic action with the new US administration regarding an international conference.”

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The conference, to be held in early 2021, would aim to negotiate a state for Palestinians, with East Jerusalem as its capital, and an end to the Israeli occupation of the West Bank. However, Majdalani voiced his opposition to the normalisation Abraham Accords and claimed that the PA would not resume negotiations if Washington is their sole sponsor.