For Immediate Release
2 February 2020
The State of Palestine rejects this ‘plan’ and considers the so-called plan a declaration of hostility against the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people. This ‘plan’ poses a serious threat to the rules-based international order and the foundations of international law. It is a conceptually flawed, absolutist, and irresponsible agreement of surrender the US administration wants to coerce Palestine into signing, thus reverting to a world where conquerors take the spoils as victims are stripped of life and property.
The so-called plan discards the requirements of peace by endorsing annexation of large parts of the Occupied Palestinian Territory as well as ethnic cleansing byway of transfer of nearly 300,000 Palestinian-Israeli citizens, which are both crimes strictly prohibited under international law. It does not regard the Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, as occupied and thus discards the international consensus on the issue and instead endorses the absolutist rightwing Israeli perspective. The so-called plan also maintains and seeks endorsement for the illegal annexation of occupied Jerusalem, in defiance of the UN Charter and relevant UN Security Council and General Assembly resolutions. It also endorses the theft of resources byway of annexation and hegemonic Israeli military control.
The US ‘plan’ presents a disconnected and unviable archipelago of Palestinian communities stripped of any sovereignty or viability, engulfed in Israel’s belly and denied of any control over borders, airspace, territorial waters, security, or natural resources. These are conditions that no country can accept.
While granting Israel immediate rewards of annexation, the ‘plan’ also conditions economic and political development in Palestine on Israeli and US approval, hence removing any pretense of sovereignty. Additionally, the plan rejects the rights of Palestine refugees and requires Palestine to abandon all efforts to seek justice and redress through international tribunals.
The State of Palestine does not consider this ‘plan’ a basis for any credible or constructive dialogue. Palestine maintains that this ‘plan’ contains all the elements of perpetual conflict, oppression, and injustice. It has no legal or political validity and the Palestinian leadership will not engage in any discussion based on its content.
Further, the State of Palestine reaffirms that the rights of the Palestinian people to self-determination, freedom, justice, and sovereignty are fundamental and non-negotiable. The Palestinian leadership will fulfill its responsibility to defend the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people by pursuing all available legal and diplomatic avenues to protect Palestinian national rights and confront this announced plan of aggression. The State of Palestine will continue to act in line with international law and cooperate with states that share our values to defend the standing and relevance of international law and the rules-based international order.
The Palestinian leadership reaffirms its readiness to engage in a constructive and meaningful political effort on the basis of international law, relevant United Nations resolutions, and the Arab Peace Initiative. This vision was presented by President Mahmoud Abbas to the UN Security Council in February 2018 and the Palestinian leadership is prepared to work with the international community to achieve a reality of peace, dignity, and justice on this solid foundation.
The State of Palestine views accepting this dangerous proposal as tantamount to endorsement of a new and lawless era in international politics where aggression and annexation are normalized. Endorsing this plan and its false claims would unravel the international rules-based order and the system of laws and regulations that have informed international relations for over seventy years. It surrenders future generations to chaos, lawlessness and the rule of the jungle.
Finally, Palestine reminds all States of their responsibility to strictly refrain from aiding or abetting, whether directly or indirectly, violations of international law, including annexation. States that accept or normalize the US-Israeli agenda of annexation and denial of Palestinian national rights would be complicit in undermining the standing of the international order. We call on responsible actors to take serious and effective measures to protect the requirements of peace and ensure accountability by adopting the logical and responsible course of action of exacting a cost for the continuation of this illegal occupation and annexation.
http://bit.ly/PLOposition