PLO Will Not Negotiate with a Right-Wing Israeli Government, Which Rejects the Two-State Solution

PLO says it will cancel negotiations with a right-wing Israeli government

Date: 21 / 02 / 2009 Time: 14:39
Jericho – Ma’an –

The Palestine Liberation Organization’s (PLO) top negotiator told US officials on Saturday that it will not negotiate with an Israeli government that rejects the principle of a two-state resolution to the Middle East conflict.

Chief Negotiator Saeb Erekat made this warning during a meeting with US Senator Joseph Lieberman (a staunch supporter of Israel) and the US Consul General in Jerusalem, Jake Walles. Lieberman, a independent from the state of Connecticut, is visiting with a delegation of other senators and congressmen.

“Any Israeli government rejects the two-state principle and the previously signed agreements and [rejects] pledges to halt settlements, lift the siege and closure will not be a partner of the PLO and there will be no political negotiations with it,” said Erekat.

He said Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has officially notified the US, EU, Russia the UN and a number of Arab countries of this stance.

On Thursday right-wing Israeli politician Benjamin Netanyahu was formally tasked with forming a government after coming in a strong second in elections earlier this month. The charter of his Likud party calls for Israel never to give up the territories it occupied in 1967.

Erekat recalled that the international Quartet of world powers (the US, EU, UN, and Russia) refused to deal with a Palestinian unity government that emerged after elections in 2006. The international community boycotted the government because Hamas, the winner of the elections, does not formally recognize Israel as a state.

He said: “In case the coming Israeli government rejected the two state solution and signed agreements, insisting on going on with its attacks, siege and settlement, is it going to be a partner for the Quartet? Or is it going to announce that it’s not a partner?”

He called on the Quartet not to apply a “double standard because this will mean pushing the region into a cycle of violence, chaos, extremism and bloodshed.”

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