US-crafted Israeli-Palestinian plan ‘fraud of the century’: Erekat

Secretary General of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Saeb Erekat has roundly dismissed US President Donald Trump’s so-called deal of the century on the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict, saying any bid that ignores the Israeli regime’s occupation of Palestinian land will go down in history as the “fraud of the century.”

News ID: 448628

Date: 26 January 2020 - 20:23

RNA - Secretary General of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Saeb Erekat has roundly dismissed US President Donald Trump’s so-called deal of the century on the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict, saying any bid that ignores the Israeli regime’s occupation of Palestinian land will go down in history as the “fraud of the century.”

“Reminder to the International Community: Israel is an Occupying Power of the State of Palestine on the 1967 borders (East al-Quds, West Bank, and Gaza strip). Any deal, attempt or dictation that ignores this fact will be recorded in history as the fraud of the century,” Erekat wrote in a post published on his official Twitter page on Saturday.

He added that Trump’s administration has fully cooperated with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, emphasizing that such partnership will be recorded in history as the fraud of the century against international law, UN resolutions, and the terms of the so-called peace process.

Hamas official: US deal of century ‘mere illusion’

Meanwhile, a member of the politburo of the Palestinian Islamic resistance movement, Hamas, has described Trump’s long-delayed “deal of the century” peace plan as delusional.

Addressing people at the Great Mosque of Gaza, Khalil al-Hayya termed the deal as “mere illusion” and “pipe dreams for Zionists and the US administration.”

“A popular uprising by all lovers of al-Quds worldwide would be enough to foil the plots of the Occupation (Israel) and force it to retreat,” Hayya noted.

In a separate statement, Hamas vowed to thwart the US’s “deal of the century,” stressing that “any deal or project that disregards the Palestinian people’s right to their land and holy sites would never pass.”

DFLP calls for mass uprising to confront ‘deal of the century’

Furthermore, the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP) has called for a popular Intifada (uprising) against Trump’s plan.

The Palestinian political party said in a statement “the deal will give the Occupation (Israel) the green light to proceed with its colonial measures to annex the Jordan Valley, the northern Dead Sea in addition to all settlements across the West Bank, and press ahead with its plans to further Judaize al-Quds and obliterate its national features.”

“Ignoring the danger of the deal of the century (Trump-Netanyahu deal) and failure to denounce it will denote abdication of responsibilities concerning promising mechanisms and means in order to effectively confront the plan, and thwart the greater Israel project,” the statement highlighted.

The DFLP then called on all Palestinian factions to engage in high-level negotiations in compliance with a national initiative by major Palestinian factions to end divisions.

The statement finally urged Palestinian political parties not to abide by the Oslo Accords and its obligations anymore and demanded the review of existing relations with the Israeli regime.

Trump is expected to host Netanyahu and his main political rival Benny Gantz at the White House on January 28 to unveil the so-called deal of the century.

Even though the full plan has not been released, Israeli media outlets have described it as a deal that meets nearly all of the Tel Aviv regime’s demands in exchange for the possibility of maybe, someday recognizing a Palestinian state.

"Peace has nothing to do with it," said Haaretz journalist Amir Tibon.

According to the English-language online newspaper Times of Israel, the deal drastically undermines Palestinian hopes for restoring land seized by Israeli settlements and allows Israel to expand its territory even further.

The US plan on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has already been unanimously rejected by all Palestinian factions.

On Thursday evening, Nabil Abu Rudeinah, spokesman for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, dismissed the “deal of the century,” and emphasized that Palestinians will reject any steps by Washington that would breach international law.

“If this deal is announced according to these rejected formulae, the leadership will announce a series of measures in which we safeguard our legitimate rights, and we will demand Israel assume its full responsibilities as an occupying power,” he said.

Abu Rudeinah then reiterated the call for an end to Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories since 1967, and establishment of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem al-Quds as its capital.

“We warn Israel and the American administration against crossing the red lines,” he concluded.

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