In the picture H.E. Ms. Rawan Sulaiman, Head of the Palestinian Mission in The Netherlands.
By Guido Lanfranchi.
The Palestine Liberation Organization has officialized its firm rebuke of the peace plan recently unveiled by the United States administration. The Palestinian leadership had already criticized the US proposal ahead of its release, notably complaining about not being duly consulted during the drafting phase. Following the official unveiling [GL1] of the plan by US President Donald Trump in late January, the PLO doubled down its criticism with a strongly worded communiqué, which denounced the proposal as heavily unbalanced in favor of the demands set forth by the current Israeli government.
Dubbing the US proposal as “the so-called plan”, the communiqué unequivocally rejected its content, describing it as “a declaration of hostility against the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people”. The Palestinian leadership condemned the annexation of Occupied Palestinian Territories, including the city of East Jerusalem, accusing the plan of endorsing “the theft of resources byway of annexation and hegemonic Israeli military control”.
Moreover, the Palestinians lashed at the proposed conditions imposed by the plan on the Palestinian Authority in order to achieve statehood. “The US ‘plan’ proposes a disconnected and unviable archipelago of Palestinian communities stripped of any sovereignty or viability, engulfed in Israel’s belly and denied of any control over borders, airspace, territorial waters, security, or natural resources” – the communiqué said, concluding that “these are conditions that no country can accept.”
Against this backdrop, the Palestinian leadership reaffirmed that “the rights of the Palestinian people to self-determination, freedom, justice, and sovereignty are fundamental and non-negotiable”, and pledged to defend such rights “by pursuing all available legal and diplomatic avenues”. While pledging to further their interests “in line with international law”, the Palestinians condemned the plan for failing to abide by this very same standard, as well as for defying the United Nations Charter and the resolutions issued by UN bodies.
Given these considerations about the US proposal, “the Palestinian leadership will not engage in any discussion based on its content” – the document pledged, urging countries around the world not to normalize the “US-Israeli agenda of annexation”. At the same time, however, the PLO reaffirmed its “readiness to engage in a constructive and meaningful political effort on the basis of international law, relevant United Nations resolutions, and the Arab Peace Initiative”, and to “work with the international community to achieve a reality of peace, dignity, and justice on this solid foundation”.
During a European trip aimed at garnering support for the Palestinian cause, Palestinian Authority’s Assistant Foreign Minister for Multilateral Affairs, Ambassador Mr. Ammar Hijazi, landed in The Hague, where he was welcomed by H.E. Ms. Rawan Sulaiman, Head of the Palestinian Representative Office in the Netherlands. During his stay in the city, the Assistant Foreign Minister met with diplomats, the press, and friends of Palestine in order to voice his country’s concerns regarding the US peace proposal. The reception was attended by several high-ranking diplomats and officials.
Ambassador Sulaiman took this opportunity to echo her government’s criticism of the proposal.
“For the stake of peace and the future generations of Palestine, we accepted to exercise our right to self-determination over 22% of historic Palestine, and to use international law as the reference to a peace agreement. We are now at a crossroads: the US plan is an assault on the basic foundations of international law. It sends a message to the world that ‘might is right’. It challenges and undermines universal values of human rights and the rule of law”.
“Instead of delivering on justice, freedom, and Palestinians’ inalienable rights, the US plan endorses annexation and aggression” – she continued. “What is at stake here is the international legal order that has governed international relations between states since World War II. This is not just about Palestine; it is about protecting our international legal order and our universal values of human rights and the rule of law as we know it”.
[GL1]https://diplomatmagazine.eu/2020/02/10/the-us-unveils-its-peace-plan-for-the-israeli-palestinian-conflict/
About the author:
Guido Lanfranchi is a student and young professional in the field of international affairs. He has pursued his studies both at Leiden University and Sciences Po Paris, where he is currently enrolled. In parallel, he has been gaining professional experience through internships (first at the Council of the European Union, and currently at Clingendael Institute), as well as by working as reporter and associate editor for Diplomat Magazine The Netherlands. His research and work focus on the Middle East and Africa, and especially on conflict situations in these regions.
