MOSCOW, Tuesday, April 16, 2019 (WAFA) – Foreign Minister Riyad Malki expected the American so-called deal of the century to bring with it bad news when it is introduced by the US as an official document for Middle East peace.
Speaking today at the Fifth Russia-Arab Cooperation Forum held in Moscow, Malki warned that ‘the coming days and months will bring us bad news with the so-called deal of the century, which started with turning Jerusalem over to Israel and seems going to end with recognition of Israeli sovereignty over large areas of the occupied West Bank as demanded by Israeli Prime Minister (Benjamin) Netanyahu.”
He said the US administration of President Donald Trump has exerted enormous pressure on the Palestinian people and its leadership and took decisions in support of the Israeli occupation.
“These Israeli crimes and violations would not have happened in such a manner and would not have disregarded international resolutions and law if it wasn’t for the lax position of the international community toward this Israeli insolence and without the immunity and protection of the US administration for its crimes that helped it avoid accountability and prosecution until today,” he said.
Malki said that a peace deal not based on international resolutions and references and that does not tackle all issues justly is totally rejected and will have no chance of success.
He said the Palestinians plan a number of political and diplomatic moves in the coming days and weeks to explain their position and to demand that the international community shoulder its responsibilities “before the Palestinian leadership embarks on important steps that it will not go back on that will change the course of the current political situation.”
The Foreign Minister also thanked Russia and its President Vladimir Putin for initiating a meeting in Moscow for the Palestinian and Israeli leaders to discuss peace between them and to bring stability to the Middle East.
“We welcome any role for the Russian Federation in any future peace initiative or process within a multilateral international framework,” said Malki.
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