Palestinian government says Bahrain confab was ‘stunning failure’ for Trump

The Palestinian government says a recent US-sponsored conference in Bahrain meant to promote a “deal” on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was a “stunning failure” for the administration of US President Donald Trump.

News ID: 445759

Date: 01 July 2019 - 21:18

RNA - In a statement released on Saturday, Nabil Abu Rudeineh, a spokesman for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, said the failure of the meeting, which was held in Manama on June 25-26 despite a Palestinian boycott, must have sent a message to Washington.

“The stunning failure of the Manama workshop... should constitute a clear message to Mr. Trump and his administration that the policy of dictates, threats, and coercion is no longer effective with our steadfast people and its legitimate leadership headed by President Mahmoud Abbas, which rejected all suspicious deals aimed at the liquidation of our national cause,” Abu Rudeineh said.

He also accused the Trump administration of pursuing a “policy of punishment and intimidation... against everyone.”

Abu Rudeineh further complained that the US team behind the proposal on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was “totally biased toward Israel."

“This biased team cannot offer solutions that can lead to a lasting and just peace,” he said.

The official also expressed Palestine’s resolve to achieve “a just and lasting peace” based on United Nations (UN) resolutions and the preservation of Palestinian rights, with the establishment of an independent state with East Jerusalem al-Quds as its capital.

The Bahrain workshop focused on the economic aspects of Trump’s proposal on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which Trump himself calls the “deal of the century” but which all Palestinian factions have rejected before it has become fully public.

While Palestinian public opinion, as well as the Arab street in general, is fiercely opposed to the plan, certain Arab governments back the initiative, ignoring the demands of the Palestinian government and people.

Name of street in West Bank city changed to remove ‘Bahrain’

In another development on Saturday, a street called “Bahrain” in the West Bank city of Yatta, situated in al-Khalil (Hebron) Governorate, was renamed “Marzouq al-Ghanim,” after the Kuwaiti parliament speaker.

According to a statement issued by Yatta’s municipality, Mayor Ibrahim Abu Zahra decided to change the name of the street after requests by locals and in an attempt to hail Kuwait’s support for the Palestinian cause.

Kuwait did not participate in the Manama conference.

On Monday, Ghanim stressed his country’s support for Palestinians’ rights, saying, “Kuwait is a supporter of occupied Palestine and rejects normalizing ties with Israel.”

Other Arab governments, such as Bahrain itself, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, are widely believed to be moving toward the normalization of ties with the Israeli regime.

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