PLO official urges Arabs to seek UN help in settlement freeze
PLO official urges Arabs to seek UN help in settlement freeze
21:36, March 15, 2010 
Email | Print | Subscribe | Comments | Forum 
A Palestinian official called on Arab states on Monday to resort to the UN Security Council to force Israel to stop building settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories.
Resorting to the Security Council "would help put an end to the Israeli activities that block the peace process," Yasser Abed Rabbo of the executive committee of Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), told Voice of Palestine radio.
Abed Rabbo said the upcoming Arab League (AL) summit in Libya " should not repeat the same words the Palestinians often hear," calling on Arab leaders to urge their allies in Washington, Russia, China and the Middle East Quartet to pile pressure on Israel.
Last week, Israel announced plans to build 1,600 apartments for Jews in the disputed East Jerusalem a few days after the AL gave its conditional backing to a U.S. offer to hold proximity talks between Israel and the Palestinians.
The new settlement plan dashed the U.S.-proposed proximity talks since Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, which the Palestinians want as capital of a future state, were a key reason that derailed the direct talks 15 months ago.
From now on, the Palestinian leadership "wants international guarantees" before restarting peace negotiations, Abed Rabbo said.
He accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of being " an extremist adventurer" who tried to block the peace process by settlements.
Source: Xinhua
Resorting to the Security Council "would help put an end to the Israeli activities that block the peace process," Yasser Abed Rabbo of the executive committee of Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), told Voice of Palestine radio.
Abed Rabbo said the upcoming Arab League (AL) summit in Libya " should not repeat the same words the Palestinians often hear," calling on Arab leaders to urge their allies in Washington, Russia, China and the Middle East Quartet to pile pressure on Israel.
Last week, Israel announced plans to build 1,600 apartments for Jews in the disputed East Jerusalem a few days after the AL gave its conditional backing to a U.S. offer to hold proximity talks between Israel and the Palestinians.
The new settlement plan dashed the U.S.-proposed proximity talks since Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, which the Palestinians want as capital of a future state, were a key reason that derailed the direct talks 15 months ago.
From now on, the Palestinian leadership "wants international guarantees" before restarting peace negotiations, Abed Rabbo said.
He accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of being " an extremist adventurer" who tried to block the peace process by settlements.
Source: Xinhua
Related Reading
Special Coverage
Major headlines
Editor's Pick
Most Popular
Hot Forum Dicussion
