The French-led Israeli-Palestinian peace initiative was on Friday rejected by various Palestinian factions, calling it a dangerous violation of national rights. An international conference began in Paris on Friday to set the framework for upcoming peace negotiations.
Representatives of nearly 30 countries, including from the UN, European Union, and the Arab League attended the meeting to plan for the international summit expected to be held by the end of the year.
Hamas and the Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine published a statement signed by the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) and the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, stating that, “the ideas suggested by France as an initiative impose a dangerous violation against agreed-upon national rights, especially the right of return”.
In a joint statement, Hamas, Islamic Jihad, the Popular Front and Democratic Front made it clear that they… https://t.co/glinaokze9
— antonio maniscalco (@antoniomanisca4) June 5, 2016
Both Hamas and Islamic Jihad called for June 3 and 4 to be “days of mass struggle,” protest, and activity to reject the French initiative. They stated that the French initiative is an individual move by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas that did not represent the opinion of the Palestinian people.
Both political movements expressed their refusal of the initiative and all such initiatives that will result in “increasing settlement building and providing a cover for the Judaization of Jerusalem.”
On Friday, PLO Secretary-General Saeb Ereka, spoke in favour of the negotiations as, “a very significant step” to end Israel’s “colonization and Apartheid policies in occupied Palestine”.
(Irish Times, PC)
