Palestine is conducting intensive contacts and consultations with Arab officials, to ensure adherence to the Arab peace initiative and that no party undertakes normalization with Israel, while Bahrain has expressed objection to these efforts.
The Palestinian contacts come in anticipation of the work of the 154th session of the League of Arab States Council, to be held remotely next Wednesday, headed by Palestine.
The news site of the Palestine Liberation Organization - Saturday - said that the secretary of the organization’s executive committee, Saeb Erekat, had made several contacts "with a number of his brothers, the Arab foreign ministers."
Among those contacted were: Egyptian Foreign Ministers Sameh Shukry, Saudi Faisal bin Farhan, Jordan Ayman Safadi, and the Sultanate of Oman Badr Al Busaidi, in addition to the Assistant Secretary-General of the Arab League Hussam Zaki.
The Arab Initiative
The website quoted Erekat as saying that his contacts confirm Palestine's demand for steadfastness and Arab adherence to the Arab Peace Initiative, which was adopted by the Arab League in Beirut in 2002.
Erekat stressed that no party would normalize relations with the occupation authority until after the Arab peace initiative was fully implemented, in a manner that would guarantee ending the occupation and embodying the independence of the State of Palestine with its capital in East Jerusalem on the 1967 borders, and resolving the refugee issue based on Resolution 194 and the release of the prisoners.
The peace initiative includes provisions that prevent the normalization of relations with Israel as long as the latter does not commit itself to restoring Palestinian rights on the basis of international resolutions.
Bahraini objection
For its part, Bahraini media quoted diplomatic sources as saying that the Arab League had rejected a Palestinian request to hold an emergency meeting next Monday to announce the rejection of Emirati normalization, due to Manama’s objection.
The sources confirmed that there are efforts in the Arab League aimed at persuading the Palestinians of the deal arranged by US President Donald Trump between the UAE and the occupying country to normalize relations between them.
She explained that Bahrain rejected a Palestinian request to place a clause rejecting normalization on the sidelines of the regular session of the Arab League.
Stab in the back
It is noteworthy that Israel and the UAE announced the normalization of relations between them on August 13, in a move that the Palestinian Authority considered a stab in the back of the Palestinian people and their leadership.
Erekat called on the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation to take concrete measures against those who encourage crimes and violations against the land and people of Palestine, including recognition of Israel's illegal annexation of Jerusalem.
In the same context, the Foreign Ministers of Egypt, Sameh Shoukry, and Bahrain, Abdul Latif bin Rashid Al-Zayani, welcomed any initiatives aimed at achieving a comprehensive and just peace for the Palestinian cause, in accordance with the decisions of international legitimacy.
During a session of talks held on Saturday in Cairo, the two ministers stressed the necessity of preserving the principle of the two-state solution, stopping any steps aimed at annexing the Palestinian territories, and continuing to support efforts aimed at achieving peace and stability in the region.