Palestinian President Abbas: US administration doesn’t help achieve regional peace, security

Palestine

Published: 2019-08-29 16:59

Last Updated: 2024-03-25 13:12


Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas stated today that the US administration does not help achieve peace and security in the Middle East region.

Addressing the media during a joint conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin, Abbas reiterated that the US administration has took the main issues of Jerusalem, refugees, borders, settlement construction and security off the negotiating table, violated and replaced international legality with contradictory measures.

He renewed his call for the Palestinian-Israeli talks to be placed under total international sponsorship in accordance with the proposal he has already made before the United Nations Security Council in a bid to solve the Palestinian question.

Abbas called on all European states that have not yet recognized the State of Palestine to do so, since this recognition would offer renewed hope, help establish justice, support the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination and end the Israeli occupation, the longest in modern history.

He affirmed that the recognition of the State of Palestine does not contradict with negotiations.

Touching upon the issue of intra-Palestinian reconciliation, the Palestinian leader expressed his keenness to guarantee the unity of the Palestinian territories and people, achieve reconciliation and renewed his call for holding free and fair general elections.

He praised Germany for its important role in supporting peace and stability in the Middle East and for its adherence to international law as the primary path to make it possible to achieve peace in line with the two-state solution based on the pre-1967 borders and reiterated that he still believes in this solution on the basis of which he is ready to hold talks with Israel.

He commended Merkel on her efforts and vision to establish collective balance away from unilateral solutions with the purpose of creating more global stability and peace and thanked Germany for its support to Palestinian state-building efforts and the UN agency responsible for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA).

He pointed out that he would brief Merkel on the latest developments on the Palestinian arena and the obstacles placed by the Israel occupation authorities in the face of the two-state solution, including ongoing settlement construction in the occupied territories, altering the character of East Jerusalem, besieging the Gaza Strip, reneging on all signed agreements, withholding Palestinian tax revenues, all of which would have grave consequences.

He emphasized that the Palestinians would continue to build their national institutions in accordance with the rule of law, disseminate the culture of peace and confront terrorism, regardless of its source.

He condemned the use of violence against civilians and stressed his respect to all divine religions as well as his rejection of all forms of racism and discrimination.

The leaders are expected to discuss the development of bilateral relations, the convening of the joint ministerial committee and increasing the volume of commercial exchange.