PLO welcomes EU role to revive stalled Mideast peace process

The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) on Saturday welcomed European Union (EU)'s role in resuming frozen peace process between Israel and the Palestinians.

Yasser Abed Rabou, a senior PLO member made the remarks in an interview with the Voice of Palestine radio, as Spain, France and Italy presented a new Middle East initiative on Nov. 16 and the three countries are exerting efforts to gain support of other EU members.

Expressing PLO welcome to the EU countries' move, Abed Rabou told the radio that current moves by the United States alone can not succeed in pushing the Palestinians and Israelis to sit together.

He, meanwhile, called for seizing the opportunity of the European initiative and urged the UN, Russia and the Arab League to get involved and press for peace.

It was reported that the new initiative has five points, namely, an immediate ceasefire between Israel and the Palestinians, an international mission in Gaza to monitor the truce, formation of an internationally-recognized Palestinian unity government, an exchange of prisoners and talks between leaders of the two conflicting sides.

The Palestinian National Authority (PNA) has expressed its welcome to the plan while Israel has rejected it by saying "the new initiative was most likely Spanish ideas that were not coordinated with the EU or Israel."

Source: Xinhua