Head of the Negotiations Department at the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO), Dr. Saeb Erekat, stated that Egypt proposed that the Palestinians present a plan that represents their demands to the United Nations, and that this plan would also represent a unified Arab stance. Speaking to Ma’an Radio, Dr. Erekat said that the current agreed upon plan is to seek a unified Arab stance demanding that Israel halt all of its settlement activities, including in occupied East Jerusalem and what Israel calls ‘natural growth of settlement”, before the peace process can be resumed.
He added that the new plan aims at specifying a unified stance regarding the peace process, and the foundations for any peace agreement that will end the Israeli occupation within the 1967 borders, and also stressing on the implementation of Security Council resolutions 242, 194, 1515 and all related UN and General Assembly resolutions.
“This aims at preventing Netanyahu from altering or manipulating the talks”, Erekat said. ‘This will prevent Netanyahu from talking about temporary borders, temporary freeze on settlement activities, extended truce and other proposals that aim at avoiding the implementation of UN resolutions and the International Law”.
The Palestinian official further stated that should the United States fail in obliging Israel to halt its settlement activities, the Palestinians will seek different alternatives.
“This is not a reaction, the alternatives are based on facts and detailed studies”,
Erekat added, “Arab, Palestinian and International experts discussed different scenarios, and came up with a number of ideas”.
Dr. Erekat further stated that the third alternative would be heading to the United Nations to demand a full membership at the security council, as a state with borders based on the map of June 4, 1967.
He also said that the Arab countries and the Palestinian Authority agreed on the fact that the international community must recognize an independent and sovereign Palestinian state, and also demanded placing the occupied territories under international protection.
“We aren’t seeking the failure of peace talks, we want them to advance and bear fruit”, the Palestinian official said. “This is not an easy task, but should Israel cause the collapse of talks, we will seek these alternatives”.
