Palestinians threaten to cut diplomatic ties with Israel

In a further effort to escalate tensions with Israel, the Palestinian leadership is now threatening to cut diplomatic and security ties.

By: Atara Beck, World Israel News and JNS.org

The Palestine Liberation Organization’s (PLO) Secretary General Saeb Erekat said the Palestinian leadership expects to meet this week regarding the implementation  of previous decisions made by them regarding relations with Israel.

“There will be decisive and important decisions regarding all forms of ties with the occupation [Israeli], including security and political relations,” Erekat told Hamas’ Al-Risala newspaper.

However, on Sunday Erekat confirmed in a statement that he met with then-Israeli Vice Prime Minister Silvan Shalom in Amman and Cairo in July and August, but that he had not asked for secret negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians.

The two reportedly discussed Palestinian demands regarding a return to negotiations, which were then rejected by Shalom during the meeting, Erekat said. Erekat said the demands were an Israeli withdrawal to the 1967 borders, the release of prisoners, as well as an end to the expansion of Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria.

In July, the PLO leader recommended that the Palestinian leadership “consider retracting its recognition of Israel until the Israeli government issues a reciprocal recognition of a Palestinian state.”

The PLO’s Central Council decided last March to end the security coordination with Israel while the Palestinian Authority’s (PA) head Mahmoud Abbas warned in September that they are no longer committed to the Oslo Accords, which would make Israel fully responsible for Palestinians Arabs.

The Oslo Accords, which were negotiated by Israeli and Palestinian officials in the Norwegian capital, created an interim Palestinian government, the Palestinian Authority, which was granted governance over Arab communities in Judea, Samaria and Gaza.

The last round of peace talks fell apart in April 2014 when the PA established a unity government with the Hamas terror organization.

In the meantime, following the wave of Palestinian terror attacks against Israelis over the past three months, representatives from the UN, US, and Middle East Quartet have visited Israel and the PA in an attempt to restore calm.