Embassy of the State of Palestine

Statement by PLO Secretary General Dr. Saeb Erekat on Israel’s rejection of the French Initiative

The Israeli rejection of the French Initiative comes a few hours after Israeli officials confirmed to the Palestinian side that the Israeli government has decided to continue violating its obligations under the signed agreements, including the daily military raids in vast areas of the Occupied State of Palestine. This is a reaffirmation of the Israeli government’s decision to continue its crimes and violations.

The Israeli government’s call for “bilateral negotiations” is not a call for the achievement of the two-state solution, but an attempt at legitimizing its settlement enterprise and the imposition of an Apartheid regime.

We call upon the French Government and the rest of the international community to take immediate steps in order to give peace a chance. We continue to support the realization of an international peace conference. We also reaffirm our call upon the world to take actions in order to save the two-state solution, including the overdue recognition of the State of Palestine, to ban settlement products, divest from companies profiting from the Israeli occupation and hold the Israeli government accountable for its ongoing and systematic violations of international law and UN resolutions.

State of Palestine

PLO – Negotiations Affairs Department

Website: www.nad-plo.org

Twitter: @nadplo