If Israel moves forward with its plans to declare sovereignty in Judea and Samaria and “annexes any occupied Palestinian territory,” all agreements signed with the Palestinian Authority (PA) will be annulled, PA head Mahmoud Abbas threatened.
US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman told the Israel Hayom daily this week that the American Embassy in Jerusalem was preparing for the recognition of Israeli sovereignty in parts of Judea and Samaria in the coming weeks, as stipulated by the US’ Deal of the Century peace plan.
“When the mapping process ends, when the Israeli government agrees to freeze construction in Area C that is not designated for sovereignty, and when the prime minister agrees to negotiate with the Palestinians on the basis of the Trump plan – and he has already agreed to that from day one – we will recognize Israeli sovereignty in areas that according to the plan will become part of it (Israel),” he stated.
The PA will consider itself absolved of all the agreements signed with Israel and US because the US “is the one who brought the Deal of the Century (peace plan), they are the ones who motivated the Israelis to carry on the annexation, and they are the ones who pushed them into this matter. They cannot tell us that they have nothing to do with it and that it is an Israel decision,” Abbas told a Fatah Central Committee meeting on Tuesday night.
Abbas has previously threatened to sever all their and end all treaties signed with Israel on several occasions.
Hanan Ashrawi, Member of PLO Executive Committee, tweeted: “Is there any low to which this “US Ambassador” would not sink? Incitement, criminality and destructive extremism! Beyond nauseating.”
Hamas spokesperson Abdel Latif al-Qanoa stated that the annexation is “the most dangerous Judaization process that has threatened Palestine ever.”
“It is carried out while stealing 38 percent of the West Bank’s land and giving false legitimacy to 70 percent of the settlements,” he claimed.
He demanded that the PA “launch a new phase of joint national activity that opposes annexation” and that it withdraw from the Oslo Accords and its recognition of Israel and support the armed struggle against the Jewish state.
Sources in the PA told TPS that it is believed that the application of Israeli law on the Jordan Valley is imminent and that Israel is moving towards this decision with the establishment of the unity government.
The sources added that under the US plan, Israel is expected to annex about 40 percent of the Judea and Samaria areas, including areas in eastern Jerusalem.