Ashrawi meets with senior European officials

PLO Executive Committee Member Hanan Ashrawi received a delegation of senior European officials coordinated by the European Council on Foreign Relations and welcomed them to Palestine, where they discussed the latest political, international and regional developments and the deteriorating conditions on the ground as a result of Israel's willful breach of international law and the destruction of the requirements for a just peace.

In her analysis, Ashrawi assessed the so-called American 'peace' plan and the unrelenting and reckless campaign by the current US administration to enable the military occupation and to provide Israel with continued legal, political and financial cover.

"Clearly, the United States' unilateral and illegal policies have emboldened Israel to persist in egregious violations at the expense of the Palestinian people with full impunity and a total disdain for international law and global consensus; thereby, it is rendering any 'peace' plan irrelevant and disqualifying the US as an honest peace broker and undermining its global influence and standing,” said Ashrawi in a statement issued by her office.

It is imperative that Europe does justice to the Palestinians and fills the political void that the US has created with its provocative and disastrous moves, added Ashrawi.

“We appeal to European countries to play an urgent and decisive political role and undertake concrete measures with a binding timeline to curb Israel's lawlessness and to ensure the end of the belligerent occupation. Moreover, it is time that they recognize Palestine in the immediate future and adopt serious steps to ensure Israeli compliance with their own laws, as well as with international law and international humanitarian law."

The internal situation in Palestine was discussed at great length, as well as the grave and volatile situation in the besieged Gaza Strip. In that context, Ashrawi affirmed that for there to be any viable solution, Gaza and the occupied West Bank (including East Jerusalem) should be treated as one single entity. She also stressed the importance of national unity and free and fair elections and the need to revitalize and rejuvenate the Palestinian political system.

The discussion also addressed current and future Palestinian moves in the international arena and the resolutions adopted recently by both the Palestinian National Council and the PLO Central Council and their means of implementation.

The end of the meeting reviewed Palestinian-European relations and underscored what Europe can do to engage positively and proactively on all issues.