Abbas declares end to agreements with Israel, US
Palestinian Authority (PA) head Mahmoud Abbas declared an end to the agreements signed with Israel and the United States and said he was turning over responsibility for the PA territories back to Israel.
Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas makes a statement as he attends the Revolutionary Council Meeting of Fatah Movement at the Palestinian Presidential Office in Ramallah on Dec. 18, 2019. Photo by Flash90.
“The Palestine Liberation Organization and the State of Palestine are absolved, as of today, of all the agreements and understandings with the American and Israeli governments and of all the obligations based on these understandings and agreements, including the security ones,” Abbas declared Tuesday night at an emergency meeting for the PA leadership held in Ramallah to discuss Israeli plans to declares sovereignty over parts of Judea and Samaria, as stipulated in the new Israeli government’s coalition agreement.
The coalition agreement between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Blue and White Chairman Benny Gantz calls for the declaration of sovereignty over parts of Judea and Samaria starting in July, as stipulated by the US’ Deal of the Century peace plan.
The US’ Deal of the Century peace plan, officially titled “Vision for Peace, Prosperity, and a Brighter Future,” calls for the Israeli annexation of some 30% of the territory in Judea and Samaria already under its control, with the remaining 70% becoming a Palestinian state.
“The Israeli occupation authority, as of today, has to shoulder all responsibilities and obligations in front of the international community as an occupying power over the territory of the occupied state of Palestine, with all its consequences and repercussions based on international law and international humanitarian law,” he said.
Abbas further declared that the American administration is “fully responsible for the oppression befalling the Palestinian people and we consider it a primary partner with the Israeli occupation government in all its aggressive and unfair decisions and measures against our people.”
He threatened to accede to international agreements and conventions that the PA has yet to join, in contravention of the peace accords, and called on the international community “to take deterrent steps and impose serious sanctions” against Israel.
Israel has yet to respond to the declaration.
Abbas has previously made similar threats and declaration but did not carry through with them.
However, an IDF source told TPS that this time seems to be more serious. Abbas has ordered his security services to cease their cooperation with the IDF, a key factor in fighting terrorism in the PA areas.
It is yet unclear how the PA will conduct itself. An end of all PA civilian activities could cause massive chaos within PA cities.
Samaria Council head Yossi Dagan stated Wednesday morning that Israel should disarm the PA.
“Abu Mazen [Abbas] has declared war on Israel, if he says in Ramallah that the security coordination between the Palestinian Authority and Israel has collapsed then he must be giving a green light to his terrorist operatives to hunt Jews, and this is a declaration of war,” he said.
Sound and fury signifying nothing. Abbas needs Israel to survive more than we need him.
There you go. Making agreements with the Palestinians is basically a waste of time.