Under the auspices of President Mahmoud Abbas and in his presence, Palestine and the European Union last night signed at the presidential headquarters in Ramallah a €224 million financing agreement for the year 2021 during which the President urged the international community to implement only one of the dozens of the United Nations resolutions related to Palestine.
The agreement was signed by Minister of Finance Shukri Bishara and EU Representative Sven Kuhn von Bergsdorff in the presence of Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh, and ambassadors and representatives of European countries accredited to the State of Palestine.
“On behalf of the State of Palestine, we thank the European Union and its member states for this support provided to us. We are very close to each other in many areas,” said President Abbas at the signing ceremony, noting that “Europe recognizes the vision of the two-state solution on the 1967 borders, and it recognizes Israel, and we hope that it recognizes the State of Palestine because that helps push the peace process forward.”
With regard to the legislative elections, the President said: “You promised us as the European Union to pressure Israel to hold them in Jerusalem, but unfortunately this did not happen. We cannot hold these elections without Jerusalem because we have already held them in Jerusalem in three previous elections.”
He added, “There are more than 700 resolutions in the United Nations General Assembly, 90 resolutions in the Security Council, and 90 resolutions in the Human Rights Council, all of them related to the Palestinian issue. We want the international community to implement only one of them, which was adopted during 74 years. This is what I told the American envoys who visited me. I told them that I want to see implemented one decision that you choose, and I will be happy with that.”
He added, “These resolutions include the partition resolution, which gave us 45% of historic Palestine, and now we demand 22% and we are not getting it. What do we do? Is it not our right to demand implementation of the partition resolution and demand 45% of our land, which you and your countries have agreed belongs to us?”
The President went on to say, “It is sad that we are the only people who did not see one UN resolution implemented. There is also the UN Security Council Resolution 2334, which was adopted unanimously, and the main supporters of it were the United States and Britain, yet this resolution was not implemented.”
He added, “We did not get justice in the Security Council, the General Assembly, or the Human Rights Council. So where do we go?”
The President stressed that “despite all the injustices committed against us, we adopt the policy of popular resistance because we want justice. But if we do not get that, where do we go?”
He added: “US President Biden will visit us, and I will ask him only one thing and that is to implement what he promised. I will not ask him for anything new. I will only ask him what he and his Secretary of State Blinken pledged to me on a set of points, namely he said we are partners and we believe in the two-state solution. But we are still on the terrorist list in the US Congress, despite the fact that there is a security agreement between us and them and with many of your countries to combat global terrorism.”
He added, “President Biden also told me that he is against the displacement of Palestinians and changing the historical status quo at the Holy Sanctuary, against settlement expansion and against unilateral actions by both parties, which is the most important clause of the Oslo agreement. Then he also said that the US Consulate must return to East Jerusalem. So I am going to tell President Biden: please do one of the things you said so that I can be assured that things are moving forward.”
He continued, “I know that Israel, especially its outgoing government, and the one before it and before it, does not want a political solution. But at least we want confidence-building steps in preparation for a political solution.”
The President indicated that, “Before President Biden’s visit, Blinken informed me that these promises will be implemented when President Biden visits, and the Assistant Secretary of State came to tell me that when President Biden comes, these promises will be fulfilled. But if I do not get anything from President Biden’s visit, and if you were in my place, what would you do?”
The President stressed: “We want peace based on international legitimacy to live in peace and stability alongside Israel. I address the countries of Europe because I know that they are countries that respect law, peace and justice. The assistance they provide us is excellent, but you can also help us on the American and Israeli sides to walk the path of peace and justice before it is too late.”
Speaking at the ceremony, Prime Minister Shtayyeh touched on the importance of signing the financing agreement without conditions, expressing hope that the financing agreement for the year 2022 will be expedited.
He stressed that the agreement covers funding for social affairs, hospitals and institutions in Jerusalem, energy and water for Gaza, health aid to combat Corona, and only €55 million for salaries.
For his part, the European Union Representative thanked President Mahmoud Abbas for overseeing the signing of the agreement, stressing the European Union’s continued support for building Palestinian institutions.
The signing ceremony was attended by Deputy Prime Minister Ziad Abu Amr, Presidential Spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeineh, Diplomatic Adviser to the President Majdi al-Khalidi, and Chief of Staff in the President’s Office Intisar Abu Amara.
Source: Palestine News & Info Agency