Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Thursday, Mar 28, 2024

US must do more than talk to resolve Palestine-Israel issue: PA official

US must do more than talk to resolve Palestine-Israel issue: PA official

Israel’s killing of Palestinian civilians and home demolition campaign has created a “very dangerous” situation in the West Bank, Nabil Abu Rudeineh, spokesperson for the Palestinian presidency, has told Arab News.

He said: “We are facing an unprecedented extremist Israeli government. The policy that Israel is pursuing amounts to a war against the Palestinian people.

“Daily killings have increased tension in Palestine while the political relationship with Israel is nonexistent and the security coordination has stopped.”

Abu Rudeineh added: “We demand the cessation of all unilateral measures, and therefore all our options will be open, including going to the UN Security Council and moving the International Court of Justice and International Criminal Court.”

Nabil Abu Rudeineh, spokesperson for the Palestinian presidency, speaks to Arab News correspondent Mohammed Najib in Ramallah.

He said that Israel is seizing $300,000 of Palestinian funds every month, leaving the Palestinian Authority unable to pay the full salaries of its employees.

On Feb. 3, Israel, which collects taxes on behalf of the PA, announced that it would use 100 million shekels ($29 million) of PA funds to compensate victims of Palestinian attacks.

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich signed the order, claiming that the funds would normally be transferred by the PA to families of prisoners and resistance fighters.

The amount to be deducted is double the usual figure confiscated monthly — $14.7 million. It was the first move of its kind by Smotrich since he took office.

Abu Rudeineh described Israel as “a state outside the law that defies the law and the resolutions of the UN Security Council, which considers Israeli settlements illegal, including in East Jerusalem.” Israel continues to build in East Jerusalem and the West Bank despite its illegality, he said, adding that Israel has become an “existential threat to the PA as it has a government that messes with security and stability in the Palestinian and Arab arenas.”

He said: “We are facing an American administration that is unable to impose what it says publicly, the latest of which was Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s speech that talks about the two-state solution, and says that all American Democratic and Republican administrations oppose settlements, but they do nothing to stop Israeli steps against the Palestinians, their land and sanctities.

“In our existing contacts with the American side, we were completely clear that unless Israel stops its unilateral measures, we are forced to take decisions, the first of which was the cessation of security coordination.”

He added that the US has issued statements that appeared favorable to Palestine but that needed to be put into practice. “When President Joe Biden came to Bethlehem, he said he was against unilateral measures and with the status quo against settlement expansion and supported the two-state solution, and despite that, Israel continues its settlement expansion, legitimizing settlements and unilateral measures.”

The US administration must force Israel to comply with international law, he said. Statements “do not frighten Israel or discourage it from what it is doing,” he added.

“We constantly hear voices saying we want to strengthen the PA, but they strengthen Israel and Hamas more than they strengthen the PA by contributing to the delivery of money to Gaza.”

Palestinian officials in contact with US government have focused on two issues — unilateral measures and signed agreements, Abu Rudeineh said, adding that those two concerns may be raised in the UN Security Council if no progress is made.

“All American efforts are focused on calming us down, and we tell the Americans that we are not the ones carrying out the escalation. Those who are killing, settling and storming the Al-Aqsa compound are obvious.

“Stop these actions, and things will calm down. But unfortunately, the American administration is giving us the words we want, but it is not forcing Israel to implement them. Therefore, the escalation is taking place because Israel is demolishing homes in Jerusalem and killing Palestinians.”

The US is “required to force Israel to do what America wants,” Abu Rudeineh said, adding: “But the problem is that what matters to America is the security of Israel and not clashing with the Jewish communities in America and dealing with the US internal situation. These are the considerations that govern American foreign policy.”

The killing of Palestinians, home demolitions and storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque, Abu Rudeineh said, “cause the existing security tension, and it will continue before, during and after Ramadan. The Americans want calm to preserve Israel’s security and not as a prelude to resuming a political process between the Palestinians and the Israelis.”

The spokesman described the fears of the Palestinian leadership: “The only concern is the Israeli occupation and the indifference of the American side. However, it seems that the US is concerned with the continuation of instability in the Middle East because what America cares about is the security of Israel and Arab oil.”

He added: “The main problem is the theft of the PA’s funds and the suspension of donor country funds. We have had more than $2 billion stolen and seized by Israel. The US can force Israel to return our stolen money if it is serious.

“America is required to abide by international legitimacy. Is it unimaginable that all American presidents, the latest of which is Biden, visited Ramallah and the Palestinian territories while the Palestine Liberation Organization continues to be classified as a terrorist organization?”

Abu Rudeineh said: "The US administration must reconsider its dealings with the PLO and the Palestinian people. They cannot open a consulate in East Jerusalem and close the PLO office in Washington. The US administration contradicts itself and international legitimacy.”

He added that the US had ended its financial support to the PA in an effort to stop its influence in Jerusalem, “but they will not find a single Palestinian who accepts giving up Jerusalem. Jerusalem is not for sale, and the American administration must reconsider its accounts.”

Regarding the potential for a third intifada in the West Bank, Abu Rudeineh said: “The issue is not a third intifada. Rather, there are Israeli attacks and Palestinian reactions, and all we see is a reaction to Israel’s daily crimes.

“The PA is keen on the security, stability and protection of Palestinian citizens. We are not protectors of Israel, and we will not be in any case either.”

He praised the political stance of Saudi Arabia, describing the Kingdom as “unlimitedly supportive of the Palestinian cause, especially its adherence to the Arab Peace Initiative, which is the best initiative in the last 100 years to support the Palestinian cause.”

He lauded Saudi Arabia’s continuous condemnation of Israeli aggression and the Kingdom’s position on Jerusalem, “which is quite clear.”

Abu Rudeineh added: “We are keen on our relationship with Saudi Arabia and the implementation of the decisions of the Arab summits, on top of which is the Arab Peace Initiative.

“We are against the normalization of some Arab countries’ ties with Israel because it contradicts the Arab Peace Initiative that was proposed and adopted by Saudi Arabia.”

On the future of Palestine, he said: “We are not creating problems for anyone, but the occupation is the one that imposes itself on Palestine and the entire region through all these measures.

“Resolving the Palestinian issue will restore security and stability to the region, and without resolving the Palestinian issue, everyone will burn, and the most important point in the Palestinian issue is the status of Jerusalem, with its historical, national and religious values.”

He added: “Stopping security coordination was the first and weakest card of the PA and as long as Israeli atrocities continue, we will continue with these steps, and more difficult and dangerous steps will follow, including demanding UN Security Council resolutions to delegitimize Israel.

“Our political and legal battle will continue as long as Israel continues its unilateral measures. If they stop them, we will be happy to review all our steps.

“But if the unilateral measures continue, we will implement the decisions of the Palestinian leadership regarding security coordination, turning to the ICJ and the ICC, and instructions have been issued to our UN representative to develop certain political perceptions.”

Abu Rudeineh added: “We are facing American pressure not to go ahead because America wants us to remain silent in exchange for nothing.

“They tell us that they are against our moves in the international courts and UN Security Council: ‘Remain calm and do not make things worse’.”
Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
China Criticizes US for Vetoing UN Ceasefire Resolution in Gaza
Saudi Arabia ranks first in UN index for e-government services in MENA
Israel Records 20% Drop In GDP, War In Gaza Is The Reason
Saudi Arabia's FDI Inflows Grow with New International Standards
Venture Capitals Power Up Across MENA Region
PM Modi Announces Opening Of New CBSE Office In Dubai
January Funding for MENA Startups Totals $86.5 Million
Saudi Arabia accelerates digital economy growth through Nvidia partnership
Israel unveils tunnels underneath Gaza City headquarters of UN agency for Palestinian refugees
Israel deploys new military AI in Gaza war
Egypt threatens to suspend key peace treaty if Israel pushes into Gaza border town, officials say
Saudi Arabia Warns Of A "Humanitarian Catastrophe" If Israel Moves On Rafah
US University To Shut Qatar Campus Due To "Heightened Mideast Instability"
Facebook and Instagram Ban Iran's Supreme Leader
Defense Technology Showcase Held in Riyadh
Saudi Arabia’s non-oil exports rise 2.5% to $6bn in November 2023: GASTAT
Rolls-Royce Executive Encourages Saudi Women to Tap into Their Inner 'Superhero' for Success in Defense Industry
Saudi Arabia launches National Academy of Vehicles and Cars
Saudi Tourism Minister Reveals Plan for 250,000 New Hotel Rooms by 2030
SAR to more than double eastern network passenger capacity with new trains deal
Saudi Arabia Enhances National Defense with New Partnerships
Saudi Aramco Maintains Arab Light Crude Pricing to Asia for March
NEOM Establishes New York Office to Support Investors
Saudi Wealth Fund Draws in Over $25 Billion Worth of Investments in Three Years, Al-Rumayyan Reveals
The Saudi Kingdom's Ultimatum to Israel: A Win-Win Peace with Saudi Arabia and the Arab World, or a Lose-Lose Continued Occupation and Endless Conflict
Biden condemns anti-Arab hate after WSJ opinion piece calls Dearborn ‘jihad capital’
Turkey Releases Seven Hostages Captured by Pro-Gaza Gunman
Arab Parliament Commends Women's Contributions to Societal Development
British and Hungarian Foreign Ministers visited Lebanese leaders to stress the importance of enacting UN Resolution 1701
Yemen's Houthis Say They Targeted British Merchant Vessel In Red Sea
Donald Trump Nominated for Nobel Peace Prize for 'Historic' Middle East Policy
US lawmakers approve F-16 jet sale to Turkey following NATO expansion support
Saudi Arabia Climbs 25 Places in World Bank's National Statistics Indicator
Tourism Growth in Saudi Arabia Fuels Advancements in the Hospitality Industry," Says Rotana Official
Houthi Rebels Request Departure of UN Staff from Yemen, Including US and UK Personnel, within a Month
Modi Inaugurates Hindu Temple on Site of Demolished Mosque in India
Over 25,000 Deaths in Gaza Amid Israeli Offensive
Escalating Clashes in Gaza as Israel Distributes Leaflets to Assist in Locating Hostages
Turkey's First Astronaut Set to Launch for International Space Station Today
Head of Palestinian Investment Fund Warns More People May Die of Hunger Than War in Gaza
Palestinian Envoy Criticizes UK for Alleged 'Double Standards' in Policies Toward Israel
Morocco to Lead UN Human Rights Council in 2024
Is artificial intelligence the solution to cyber security threats?
Egypt has been identified as the leading military force among Arab nations and ranks 15th globally
The AI Revolution in the Workforce: CEOs at Davos Predict Major Job Cuts in 2024
Iranian Nobel Laureate Narges Mohammadi Receives Additional Prison Sentence
"Gazans Urge Israeli Forces to Target Hamas in Leaked Audio"
Biden States US and UK Airstrikes on Houthis Were a 'Defensive Action
Large Pro-Palestine Rally in London as Gaza Conflict Hits Day 100
South Africa Urges World Court to Halt Israeli Actions in Gaza
×