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Roundup: PNA calls on honoring two-state commitment, while PLO denounces Israeli elections as "racism"

Xinhua, March 19, 2015 Adjust font size:

The Palestinians voiced on Wednesday their pessimism towards achieving a comprehensive peace in the region after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party won the parliamentary elections held in Israel on Tuesday.

The elections showed that the Likud Party achieved an overwhelming victory and defeated its competing Zionist Union, according to Israel Radio, which said the Likud earned 30 seats in the parliament, while the Zionist Union earned 24 seats.

The Palestinian National Authority (PNA) announced on Wednesday that it will deal with any Israeli government that abides by the international conventions.

The PNA presidency state-run news agency "Wafa" quoted Nabil Abu Rdineh, spokesman of the Palestinian presidency, as saying in an official statement that the Palestinians do not care who Israeli prime minister is.

"What we want is to see an Israeli government that recognizes the two-state solution and east Jerusalem is the capital of the Palestinian state," said Abu Rdineh in the statement, adding that "counting on this principle, we will deal with any Israeli government that will be committed to the international conventions."

The Israeli election took place as the peace talks with the Palestinians stalled since April last year. And later on July 8, Israel waged a large-scale military air and ground offensive on the Gaza Strip, which lasted for 50 days and killed 2,200 Palestinians.

Ties between Israel and the Palestinians became more tensed after the Palestinians decided in late December to join 20 international treaties and agencies, including the International Criminal Court (ICC). In response, Israel in January withheld the Palestinian tax revenue dues.

The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Central Council earlier this month decided to halt security coordination with Israel. Observers believe that halting security coordination may lead to comprehensive confrontations between the two sides.

Meanwhile, Yasser Abed Rabbo, secretary general of PLO executive committee, told Xinhua that the Likud's victory in the elections "is a victory of racism and for the occupation and settlement."

He slammed the rightwing in Israel, saying "it is a psychic society similar to the minor white community in South Africa," adding that "the Palestinians should not be panic or confused, because we have our means of response."

"We can submit to the international corporations and international courts, but in order to do this, the Palestinians should be united," said the PLO official, who called for the formation of a wider Palestinian unity government.

He said the PLO executive committee will hold a meeting on Thursday "to debate and discuss the mechanisms of implementing decisions of the central council related to halting security coordination with Israel." Endit