PLO Central Council calls to halt security coordination with Israel
The Palestine Liberation Organization's Central Council also recommends suspending recognition of Israel until the Jewish state recognizes the Palestinian state; decision on whether to adopt recommendations left to Abbas.
However, the PLO Central Council left the decision on whether to implement its recommendations to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and the PLO Executive Committee.
Such decisions have been made by the PLO Central Council in the past, but Abbas has yet to adopt them.
Security cooperation, largely aimed at Abbas' rival, the Islamic militant Hamas, is unpopular among Palestinians, but has survived repeated crises and years of deadlock in talks with Israel on setting up a Palestinian state. Abbas' self-rule government in parts of the West Bank would likely collapse if he cuts ties with Israel.
The only time in which the PLO's security coordination with Israel was suspended was when Israel placed metal detectors at the entrance to the Temple Mount in 2017. However, Abbas made that decision independently of the PLO Central Council.
Speaking at the opening of the PLO Central Council meeting on Sunday, Abbas hinted on additional decisions that will redefine the organization's relations with Israel, Gaza and the US administration.
"The period we are in is the most dangerous time for the Palestinian people. We are going to make decisions that are very important and difficult," said the Palestinian president.
He also rejected what he said were American and Israeli attempts to create "a mini-state in Gaza and autonomy in the West Bank."
"I again stress that no state will be established in Gaza, no state will be established without Gaza, and no state will be established with temporary borders. We went through a difficult time in 1984 and the PLO was on the verge of collapse. But thanks to the Palestinian people, we survived," he added.
Abbas called to "implement the decisions we have made in the past regarding our relations with the United States, Israel, and Hamas. We must not give in to negotiations and pressure; we are at a historic point in time."
He also slammed several Palestinian factions that decided to boycott the conference, calling on "everybody to unite and come together under the PLO Central Council. I turn to Hamas and say: unity is more important than what you are doing, so we can achieve our goal—the recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine."
Addressing the US administration without naming it, Abbas said, "They are still talking about the deal of the era, and that they will present it after a month or two, but what's left of the deal? You transferred the embassy to Jerusalem, you destroyed the rights of the refugees and UNRWA, and you said that there are only 40,000 refugees. Your house will be destroyed—40,000 Palestinians? In 1948, 950,000 refugees left Palestine. Today they are six million. You say 40,000? You only say this to eliminate the refugee problem."
