CAIRO, Saturday, February 1, 2020 (WAFA) - President Mahmoud Abbas said on Saturday that he will never accept the annexation of Jerusalem to Israel.

"I will not go down in history as the man who soled our eternal capital," President Abbas told the extraordinary Arab League meeting at the level of foreign ministers held in Cairo, called for to discuss a joint Arab position to the so-called "deal of the century" revealed recently by US President Donald Trump in the presence of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

In his speech, President Abbas reiterated the need to defy the US plan and prevent it from becoming the new terms of reference for negotiations, rejecting it in toto and stressing that there is no place for this deal with all of its terms at the negotiating table.

"We still believe in peace, and we want to establish an international multi-lateral mechanism to implement international legitimacy decisions and the Arab Peace Initiative," the President said.

President Abbas added that "we are looking for a just solution to our issue on the basis of international legitimacy, but we will never accept that the United State as the only peace mediator."

"We do not want anyone to stand against America. We only want support for our position; by accepting what we accept and rejecting what we reject," the President added.

President Abbas revealed that he informed the Israeli and US sides, in two letters, that the Palestinian Authority cut off relations with Israel, including security relations, because they violated international agreements, including those that led to the creation of the state of Israel.

He added that he informed them that the US plan will have repercussions on both sides of the conflict and on the whole region, stressing that the Israelis have to bear their full responsibilities as an occupying power.

The President said that he will participate in the Islamic Cooperation Summit and then the African Summit, noting he will then go to the UN Security Council, along with many international and other organizations, to thwart the "Deal of the Century".

President Abbas affirmed the right of the Palestinian people to continue their legitimate struggle by peaceful means to end the occupation and establish an independent state of Palestine with East Jerusalem as its capital.

A.D/M.N/T.R.