Reply #7: PLO leaders dismiss day-long threats [View All]

[azurnoir]

PLO officials responded in force to Israel's threats to seize more territory if Palestinians follow through with a plan to seek UN recognition of an independent state.

Israeli officials have threatened to meet unilateralism with unilateralism if the PLO follows through, including annexing major settlement blocks or the entire West Bank, as well as withholding tax revenue or even withdrawing from the Oslo Accords.

Chief PLO negotiator Saeb Erekat officially announced on Monday that efforts to issue a Security Council resolution had begun.

"We are now facing a moment of truth," he said. "We will seek to pass this Security Council resolution and the activation of the Fourth Geneva Convention to protect the Palestinian people."

Regarding Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's threats to respond with similar unilateralism, Erekat responded, "Israel's daily provocative actions are unilateral," according to a separate statement.

Ahmed Qureia, a member of the PLO Executive Committee, articulated various options available to the leadership, all the while undetered by the specter of unilateral action, Israeli media reported on Monday.

"As people living under occupation, we are committed to looking into other options. Diplomacy is an option, turning to the UN is an option, the popular struggle is an option. All options are available and we have many possibilities," he said, according to the online news source Ynet.

Qureia emphasized that Israeli threats failed to intimidate, noting, "It's true that the Israel threat exists, and we have heard Netanyahu, but as far as we are concerned, the occupation is the biggest threat that can be."

Palestinian National Initiative secretary-general Mustafa Barghouthi agreed, calling Netanyahu's warnings "ridiculous" in a statement to Ma'an. "There aren't any Palestinian territories left to threaten - they're all occupied."

http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=240410