Thursday, January 26, 2017
Elder of ZiyonA senior member of President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah party has threatened to withdraw the Palestinian Authority's recognition of Israel in response to the planned relocation of the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.Yes, he really said that the PLO would withdraw recognizing Israel while at the same time insisting that Israel recognize a state that doesn't exist.
During his electoral campaign, US President Donald Trump pledged to move the embassy to Jerusalem despite reluctance to do so by past administrations.
Speaking to the Voice of Palestine radio station on Tuesday, Azzam al-Ahmad, a member of Fatah's Central Committee, said the Palestinian Authority, or PA, planned to adopt a raft of retaliatory measures in the event of the embassy’s relocation.
"[We would also] demand that Israel recognise Palestine as a state with Jerusalem as its capital."
Azzam wasn't the first to make this threat. Abbas said it in November, Saeb Erekat said it in December along with Mohammed Shtayyeh and Hanan Ashrawi, Shtayyeh repeated it earlier this month.
Apparently, the PLO regards signed agreements with Israel as only binding on Israel.
