JERICHO, Friday, March 01, 2019 (WAFA) – Secretary-General of the Palestine Liberation Organization’s (PLO) Executive Committee Saeb Erekat Thursday emphasized that there would be no peace in the Middle East without a just and lasting political solution to the Palestinian question.

Erekat also emphasized that the Palestinian people would not repeat the mistakes of the past, but will stay in its country and added that “the only solution to live in security and peace lies in the implementation of the two state solution. Otherwise, the only alternative is the one-state solution that maintains two regimes, one of which is an apartheid regime.”

Erekat made his remarks during a meeting with US and South African delegation of church leaders, who were visiting the occupied Palestinian territories through the Churches for the Middle East Peace.

He briefed the visiting delegation on the PLO’s efforts to advance the peace process, including the many meetings held in the White House.

“Unfortunately, however, the US administration has opted to isolate itself from the peace process through imposing dictates and unilateral conditions on the Palestinian people, recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and subsequent relocation of its embassy to the city, coupled with the attempted elimination of the refugees issue, halting of financial support to the UNRWA and closing the PLO’s representative office in Washington,” he added.

Erekat pointed out that the PLO has recognized Israel and made historic and painful concessions, and stressed that Israel must today seriously think about its future if it wishes to make peace.

He also pointed out that “Judaism does not pose and hasn’t posed a threat to us (the Palestinian people), but the root of the problem lies in the Israeli occupation that strives to turn the conflict into a religious one.”

K.F.