“For any American initiative to succeed, it should lead to urgent, substantive and serious action that will end the Israeli occupation”
Speaking after the announcement of President Obama’s visit to Palestine and Israel in March, Dr. Hanan Ashrawi, member of the PLO Executive Committee, said: “We welcome President Obama’s visit, if it signals an American promise to become an honest and impartial peace broker.
The U.S. can play this positive role by engaging in an effective and constructive manner rather than by repeating the same policy of negotiations for their own sake.”
Dr. Ashrawi added: “Such an engagement requires decisive curbs on Israeli violations and unilateral measures, particularly settlement activity and the annexation of Jerusalem, as well as its siege and fragmentation policies. It also requires the implementation of all prior agreements and a clear commitment to international law, human rights and multilateral participation. Any initiative must have defined objectives and a binding timeframe. This must happen before Israel succeeds in finally destroying the two-state solution and hence the chances of peace.”
“Maintaining Israel’s impunity and sense of exceptionalism, while denying the Palestinian people’s rights to sovereignty, freedom and dignity, has been lethal to any meaningful pursuit of a viable and just peace. We therefore expect that this visit will rectify the failures of the past, demonstrate a newfound political will, and lead to urgent, substantive and serious action that will bring the Israeli occupation of the State of Palestine to an end,” concluded Dr. Ashrawi.
