US, Europe and Arab Countries Warn Palestinians Against Cutting Ties with Israel

Fearing further turmoil, several countries have warned PA Chair Mahmoud Abbas against escalating the volatile political situation by cancelling the Oslo peace accords. 

The US administration has warned Palestinian Authority (PA) head Mahmoud Abbas against suspending security coordination with Israel, according to a report in The Jerusalem Post.

The US and a number of European Union and Arab countries, including some Gulf states as well as Jordan and Egypt, also exerted pressure on Abbas to delay a Palestinian National Council vote on a motion to annul all agreements with Israel.

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According to the article, these countries fear that such a drastic move by Abbas would create more strife and further destabilize the fragile internal Palestinian political entity.

The London-based Arab language Rai al-Youm online newspaper reported that the Arab countries have threatened to “close their doors in front of Abbas” if he refuses to backtrack.

The US administration has even threatened to suspend financial aid to the PA if Abbas insists on proceeding with his plans, Rai al-Youm adds.

US Secretary of State John Kerry, fearing a negative impact on the region in general and on Israel in particular, recently phoned Abbas to dissuade him from making the move, the Post reports.

Earlier reports indicate that Abbas is likely to announce his resignation during the PNC session, adding that the PA chair is also planning to get rid of several senior PLO and Fatah officials by asking the PNC to elect new members for both.

The sources suggest that Abbas is now inclined to postpone the meeting.

Several Palestinian factions have called for boycotting the session, arguing that Abbas was seeking to exploit it in order to settle accounts with his political rivals in the PLO and Fatah.

By: United with Israel Staff

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