Abbas: Meetings with Israeli Ministers Not a Substitute to Negotiations

By: Baruch Yedid

The 31st session of the PLO Central Council closed Monday night in Ramallah, in the shadow of a boycott by Palestinian organizations and independent elements.

During the conference, Mahmoud Abbas said that the Palestinian Authority would not be able to accept the continuation of the current situation, adding that the Palestinians had met all the commitments for a two-state solution and therefore could not be held responsible for disrupting the peace process.

Abbas added that Israel openly declares its renunciation of the two-state solution and stressed that the Palestinian contacts with Israeli ministers are not a substitute for political negotiations.

Foreign Minister Yair Lapid met last month at his home in Tel Aviv with PA Minister Hussein A-Sheikh, the minister of Civil Affairs and a Member of the Fatah Central Committee.

Defense Minister Benny Gantz hostedAbbas at his home in Rosh Ha’Ayin at the end of December for “a discussion on a number of security and civilian topics.” A few weeks ago, Lapid also met with the head of PA intelligence Majd Faraj.

Abbas also said at the conference that the Palestinians had opened a new page with the US administration, removed the Deal of the Century plan from the agenda, and that they were marching for a two-state solution and called for an international peace conference soon.

The PLO chairman added that the Palestinians are expecting the opening of the American consulate in Jerusalem and that elections will be held if it is possible to hold them in Jerusalem as well.

The conference was held under a boycott by the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), independent figures, and Hamas, which is not a member of the PLO.

Hamas is calling for a reform of the PLO, the umbrella organization. Commenting on this, Abbas said that “the PLO must be maintained as the only legitimate representative of the Palestinians.”

Abbas’s remarks came in the shadow of pressure from within to declare the severance of relations with Israel, to end security coordination with the IDF, and to continue Palestinian activities against Israel in the International Court of Justice. In his speech, Abbas said that the Palestinians must step up popular protest against Israel.

At the conference, a number of decisions that strengthen Abbas’s status were taken, including the appointment of Hussein A-Sheikh as a member of the PLO Executive Committee to replace Saeb Erekat, who died from the coronavirus. Ruhi Fatuh, also close to Abbas, was appointed chairman of the Palestinian National Council.

During the 31st conference, Member of Knesset Ayman Odeh and former MK Muhammad Barake were also present in the hall in Ramallah.

(TPS)