(Unofficial Translation)
13 August, 2020
The Palestinian leadership declares its unequivocal rejection and condemnation of the shocking American-Israeli UAE declaration about the full normalization of relations between the Israeli occupying State and the United Arab Emirates in exchange for a dubious claim regarding the temporary suspension of the plan to annex Palestinian territory and extend so-called sovereignty over it. This announcement comes amid Israel’s insistence on entrenching its occupation, annexing Palestinian territory, Jerusalem in particular, and desecrating holy places, including and most notably the Al-Aqsa Mosque Compound.
The Palestinian leadership regards this act as a destructive blow to the Arab Peace Initiative, Arab and Islamic Summit resolutions and international law. It is also an assault on the Palestinian people and a betrayal of their rights to an independent state on the borders of June 4th 1967, including Jerusalem and Palestinian holy sites>
Further, the Palestinian leadership rejects the action undertaken by the United Arab Emirates and considers it an act of treachery towards Jerusalem, Al-Aqsa and the Palestinian cause, tantamount to a recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s ‘‘capital’’.
The leadership calls on the UAE to immediately retract its disgraceful announcement. It also rejects the deceitful so-called suspension of illegal Israeli annexation in exchange for Emirati normalization and cynical use of the Palestinian cause as cover to that end. In this regard, the leadership warns its Arab brethren against succumbing to American pressure or following in the UAE’s steps of gratuitous normalization with Israel, the occupying power, at the expense of Palestinian rights.
The leadership further affirms that neither the UAE nor anyone else has the right to speak on behalf of the Palestinian people. The Palestinian leadership does not accept any intervention of any party in Palestinian affairs, much less any decision-making on its behalf regarding Palestinian national rights.
The Palestinian leadership reiterates that the Palestine Liberation Organisation is the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people and that the Palestinian people stands united with their legitimate leadership, led by President Mahmoud Abbas, in facing this pernicious tripartite declaration.
The Palestinian leadership also calls on the international community to uphold international law and international resolutions, which form the basis for the resolution of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. The leadership also affirms that peace will only be achieved with the complete end of the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territory.