Abbas vows to seek reconciliation to end internal division
Ramallah, Sep 4 (IANS) Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has vowed to achieve reconciliation and national partnership to end internal division.
During a meeting with the heads of all Palestinian factions, Abbas on Thursday pledged to make the necessary arrangements for convening the Palestinian Central Council as soon as possible, Xinhua news agency reported.
“Until that time we’ll agree on the necessary mechanisms to end the division and achieve reconciliation and national partnership in a time-bound manner and with the participation of all,” he said.
The President urged all Palestinian factions, particularly his Fatah party and the Islamic Hamas movement that controls Gaza Strip, to initiate an inclusive dialogue to approve mechanisms to end the division based on the one-people and one-political-system principle.
Abbas said that the meeting was held “at a very dangerous stage, in which our national cause is facing various conspiracies and dangers”, referring to Israel’s illegal annexation plan, the US Mideast plan, and the projects to encourage Arab countries to normalize ties with Israel.
He slammed the United Arab Emirates’ recent decision to normalize its relations with Israel as “a poisoned dagger” which “stabbed our people and our nation”.
The Palestinian leader said that the Palestinian people and leadership would neither accept the US as the sole broker of any future peace negotiations, nor its Mideast plan which violates international law.
He called for the formation of a national leadership that would lead the anti-occupation peaceful protests, and creating a “follow-up committee” comprising of representatives of all factions to create the mechanisms to end the division.
He urged Arab countries to reaffirm their commitment to the Arab Peace Initiative during the Arab League’s upcoming meeting.
He added that normalization of Arab ties with Israel will only take place after ending the Israeli occupation, achieving Palestinian independence and establishing a sovereign Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital.
–IANS
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