STRASBOURG, October 6, 2011 (WAFA) – President Mahmoud Abbas Thursday addressed the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), saying, “You have supported the Arab spring’s demands of freedom and democracy. Now, the Palestinian spring comes demanding freedom and the end of occupation. We deserve your support, and we trust you not to leave us alone in this…we count on you.”
Abbas addressed European lawmakers, noting that 128 member states of the United Nations support the recognition of a Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders, of which 17 countries are member states of the Council of Europe. Other 24 member states of the Council of Europe have diplomatic relations with Palestine; many of which, particularly those members of the European Union, affirmed their willingness to recognize the Palestinian state at the right time.
“This is the right time. We appreciate the recent European Parliament’s decision on this matter and call for its implementation,” Abbas said.
He added that recognizing the Palestinian state and supporting its bid for a full UN membership aim to protect European achievements after Europe invested a lot of efforts and money in building the institutions of the Palestinian state, as well as to promote Europe’s position and its role in pushing the peace process forward.
He expressed the Palestinian people’s gratitude for the European countries’ generous support, expressing hope that they will promote their political role in pushing the peace process forward.
“We have always stressed that we want our European friends to be players and not only payers.” he said.
He affirmed the Palestinian’s determination to keep the popular movements peaceful, because they reject violence and terrorism in all its forms; particularly state terrorism and the terrorism of armed Jewish settlers. “We will disappoint them by not being drawn to violence.”
He said, “Why does Israel refuse to recognize the Palestinian state if it is serious about accepting the two-state solution?”
He stressed that in light of the blocked horizon of negotiations, the PA had no choice but to go to the international community, calling it to intervene to open up new prospects for the peace process through accepting the accession of a Palestinian state to the UN as a full member state.
He stressed that peace and settlement activities don’t meet, pointing that security comes through peace and not through military power, dominance, and geographic expansion; since peace can only be preserved through understanding and not by force.
He added that the Israeli government insists on putting impossible conditions that have no basis in the terms of reference for peace and in the international resolutions, as well as Israel’s demand of the Palestinian people to recognize Israel as a Jewish state is preconditioned and is not accepted because it threatens to turn the conflict in the region into a devastating religious conflict, jeopardizes the future of almost 125,0000 Palestinians living in Israel, pre-cancels the rights of the Palestinian refugees, and constitutes a cover of the expansionist tendencies which destroys chances for a two-state solution.
He said that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insists on unacceptable political concepts based on expansion and settlements’ construction through the annexation of East Jerusalem, settlement blocs, the land west of the apartheid wall, as well as the Jordon Valley which constitutes 40% of the West Bank land, in addition to keeping military basis throughout the West Bank.
“If we respond to their demands, where will a Palestinian state be?” he said.
He said, “Today we reaffirm our readiness to return to the negotiating table based on a complete cessation of settlement activities and a clear reference in line with the international resolutions.”
T.R./F.R.
