How this Palestinian committee works to end agreements with Israel
A Palestinian committee is currently reviewing ways to end all agreements signed with Israel and break economic ties, but Palestinians are wary of such efforts as President Mahmoud Abbas has repeatedly failed to put his promises into action.
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — The Palestinian committee charged with setting up mechanisms to stop agreements with Israel is working through legal, economic and political tracks to achieve its purpose, a committee member told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity.
The committee, which comprises 14 Palestinian leaders from the PLO factions, held its first meeting in Ramallah Aug. 3, chaired by President Mahmoud Abbas, to discuss the mechanisms of implementing the Palestinian Authority's (PA) decision taken on July 25 to suspend agreements signed with Israel. This comes in response to Israel demolishing dozens of Palestinian homes in areas under the PA’s administrative control in East Jerusalem on Oct. 22.
“The committee has taken a decision to refrain from talking to the media [about its functions and method of work] until we reach final results,” Qais Abdul Karim another committee member, told Al-Monitor.
However, the committee member who agreed to speak on condition of anonymity noted, “The committee’s task is to put in place executive mechanisms [to implement] the decision to stop agreements with Israel, the most important of which is the first Oslo Accord of 1993, which included the PLO's recognition of the State of Israel; and the second Oslo Accord in 1995, which divides administrative and security control in the West Bank between the PA and Israel; in addition to the 1994 Paris Economic Protocol, which defines the economic and commercial relationship between the PA and Israel.”
