Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Tuesday threatened diplomatic and legal action against the “cancer” of Israeli settlement building, a day ahead of a visit by US Secretary of State John Kerry.
The word “settlements” refers to Jewish communities established in the biblical heartland of Judea and Samaria, which had been largely unpopulated prior to 1967, and in east Jerusalem.
“We will not remain patient as the settlement cancer spreads, especially in (east) Jerusalem, and we will use our right as a UN observer state by taking political, diplomatic and legal action to stop it,” Abbas said during a speech in Ramallah to mark the 49th anniversary of the founding of the Fatah party, according to an AFP report.
Abbas said that the Palestinians “will agree to anything that fulfills their demands and rights” during negotiations with Israel, “but will not hesitate to refuse any diplomatic offer that compromises Palestinian national interests, regardless of pressures.”
“We have said that the Palestinian people is the one most in need of security, and is the one who needs guarantees of protection against the aggression of the occupation and the settlers,” Abbas said. He reiterated total rejection of Israel’s demand to maintain a military presence in the Jordan Valley, where the West Bank borders Jordan.
US-brokered talks, which began in July, include the issue of settlements and Israel’s insistence on maintaining a military presence in the Jordan Valley under any peace agreement.
Abbas declared an Israeli annexation of the Jordan Valley would constitute a “red line which cannot be crossed.” Abbas’s opposition came in response to a vote on Sunday by Israel’s Ministerial Committee on Legislation in favor of a bill to annex the region.
Abbas’s threat to pursue legal action against Israel comes as Kerry’s team reportedly plans to launch a diplomatic effort to push Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu into accepting the US proposal for Israel’s security arrangements. Those plans include a full Israeli withdrawal from the Jordan Valley in stages over 10 years.
Tension in Israel is building ahead of Kerry’s visit, as the secretary of state is expected to propose a framework deal that will likely include factors problematic for Israel. According to a coalition official, “The American document may be more explosive than what people think, and that may shuffle the deck in the political system.”
Saudi newspaper Al Watan reported that Kerry is expected to make a significant addition to the framework agreement: Israel will recognize the 1967 borders as a basis for the establishment of the Palestinian state in return for recognition by the Palestinians of Israel as a Jewish state. According to Palestinian sources, this will constitute the heart of the agreement.
This past September, the Israel National News site reported on comments made by Member of Knesset Yariv Levin (Likud) that Israel cannot concede land to the PA and cannot stop building in Judea and Samaria.
“In today’s world, determination is the key to receiving support worldwide, and certainly in a matter as important as ensuring the future of the Land of Israel, it is important that we advance that determination and build without fear or hesitation,” said Levin.
The US plan has already been dismissed by Abbas, who on Tuesday reiterated his rejection of an Israeli security presence in the Jordan Valley.
Chief PA negotiator Saeb Erekat declared that peace talks had failed, suggesting that the PA should start seeking statehood recognition at the UN.
Author: Shoshana Kesner, contributor, United with Israel
Date: Jan. 1, 2014