Palestinians are preparing for a “popular uprising” in protest at US President Donald Trump’s so-called “deal of the century” which is set to be unveiled at a Bahrain conference later this month.
Demonstrations will take place as the U.S.-led gathering discusses the first part of Washington’s “peace plan.” It will be presented by Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner in Manama on June 25-26.
The controversial proposals have already been rejected by the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO). It called for a global boycott of the event which it views as a platform to sell out Palestinian rights.
It said the so-called “deal of the century” would “enforce the Israeli occupation and erase the national and legal rights of the Palestinian people.”
Details of the deal are not known at this stage. It is believed to involve planned investment in the West Bank and Gaza in exchange for Palestinians giving up certain rights and historical claims.
Yesterday’s gathering in the West Bank city of el-Bireh brought together representatives of the PLO factions along with Palestinian civil society organizations and independent figures.
They called for the “popular uprising” to coincide with the US-led conference and urged Palestinians to join “action to foil the ‘deal of the century’ and its economic aspect, and voice their rejection of all American policies.”
PLO spokesman Wasel Abu Yusef reiterated the call for Arab nations to boycott the conference insisting “the rights of the Palestinian people can’t be traded for money.”
The PLO’s Tayseer Khaled also said there was a need to change the rules of engagement with Washington and Tel Aviv.
He called for a “comprehensive national revolt” against Israel and warned of “the big changes in the policy of the U.S. administration and its unprecedented and unlimited support for Israel’s hostile settlement policy and absolute denial of the national rights of the Palestinian people.”
The Palestinian Authority is considering filing a complaint with the International Criminal Court (ICC) against U.S. ambassador to Israel David Friedman for “jeopardising peace and security in the Middle East” with his recent “racist” remarks.
Friedman said on Saturday that Israel has “the right to retain some, but unlikely all, of the West Bank.”
The Palestinian Foreign Ministry said: “We are studying whether his racist rhetoric is sufficient to file a complaint against him with the ICC for trying to impose his racist visions and threatening peace and security in the region, as well as exposing the Palestinian people to several dangers and conspiracies.”
Morning Star
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