Palestinian President Abbas Declares End to Agreements With Israel, U.S.
The move comes in response to the possible West Bank annexation promised by the Netanyahu government, which was also condemned by U.S. presidential candidate Joe Biden
Tuesday, May 19, 2020
AFP Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas announced Tuesday that the Palestinian Authority will end all agreements and understandings signed with Israel and the United States, including security agreements, in light of Israel's intent to annex parts of the West Bank.
Abbas made the announcement at a Palestinian leadership meeting in Ramallah.
However, the Palestinian government announced Tuesday evening that it ill increase coronavirus restrictions during Eid al-Fitr, which will take place next week. Thus, if the agreements with Israel were null and void for Palestinians, this responsibility will be transferred to Israel.
Abbas announced the cancellation of the agreements with Israel as early as February, in light of the presentation of U.S. President Donald Trump's Middle East plan, which included the possibility of annexation. Despite the declaration, the agreements were not effectively canceled.
Another objection to annexation was voiced Tuesday by former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, who is expected to be the Democratic presidential candidate in the upcoming election. "I do not support annexation," Biden said at a virtual gathering of Jewish Democrats, as published on the Jewish Insider website. Biden explained that unilateral measures would hurt the prospect of a two-state solution.
Abbas also said Tuesday he was ready to negotiate and committed to ending the conflict with Israel on the basis of a two-state solution. He also stated that he was ready for a third party to oversee the border between the two countries.
Earlier on Tuesday, Germany and the Palestinian Authority released a joint statement expressing "grave concern" over Israel's declared intention to begin annexing parts of the West Bank and the Jordan Valley.
Annexing parts of the West Bank and the Jordan Valley as part of Trump's "deal of the century" was a central promise of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's latest election campaign. Former political rivals turned allies Benny Gantz and Gabi Ashkenazi have also expressed their support for the administration's plan.
The statement, which follows similar warnings from other European countries and the European Union, was released after a virtual meeting chaired by Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh and German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas took place.
Israel's Foreign Ministry blasted the EU for practicing "megaphone diplomacy" on after Borrell's statement.
It was "regrettable that once again, the security of Israel, a key partner of the EU, and the threats that Israel face, were not mentioned at all and were not given the centrality that they should be [sic] in such a message," said the Israeli Foreign Ministry statement.
"This 'megaphone diplomacy' is not a substitute for intimate diplomatic dialogue and will not advance the role the EU is seeking to fulfill," it said.
jerry pdx
ReplyDeleteSeattle Washington City commies....er, I mean Council vote 9-0 in favor of a 100 million relief fund for illegal alien invaders: https://www.foxnews.com/politics/seattle-city-council-100-million-relief-fund-for-illegal-immigrants
The only thing that surprises me is that the Portland City Council has not followed suit by coming up with some scheme to hand out even more of our tax money to illegals, especially with California also touting it's own handout plan. There's nothing Portland politicos hate more than feeling like the the little kid city squeezed between Seattle & the Cali giant cities. Especially when it comes to virtue signalling, we may not have their population or national profile but they fancy Portland as always being the most "progressive".
The only reason I think is because local city elections are happening, nobody wants to push a huge cash obligation to immigrants for fear of not being re elected. Unfortunately, I only found one halfway tolerable candidate on the ballot this year, it's that bad, just one pathetic progressive poseur after another. I have a bad feeling about the post election city council, it's going to be ugly.