Category: Palestinian Authority

Palestinian Authority PM urges African Union to withdraw Israel’s observer status

Mohammed Shtayyeh says Israel should not be ‘rewarded’ for its policies toward the Palestinians; summit could still see a vote on the matter

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia — Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh on Saturday urged the African Union to withdraw Israel’s observer status as heads of state from the 55-member body met for a two-day summit.

“Israel should never be rewarded for its violation and for the apartheid regime it does impose on the Palestinian people,” he said.

The relationship with Israel is a rare point of contention for a body that values consensus and is expected to dominate the Addis Ababa summit this weekend.

Read More

Amid wave of Palestinian terror, leading US diplomat reaffirms commitment to two-state solution

U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Barbara Leaf. Source: YouTube.

(September 15, 2022 / JNS) United States Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Barbara Leaf on Wednesday reaffirmed President Joe Biden’s support for the two-state solution despite rising Palestinian violence in Judea and Samaria.

Leaf, speaking at a press conference regarding her recent trip to the Middle East and North Africa, stressed the administration’s commitment to the creation of a Palestinian state side-by-side with Israel “so that Israelis and Palestinians can live safely and securely and enjoy equal measures of freedom, security and prosperity.”

She added that Washington is encouraging security cooperation between the two sides “to the greatest degree possible.”

The administration is focused on bettering economic conditions in the Palestinian-controlled territories, Leaf noted, saying this “can help and sustain improvement in security conditions.”

Read More