Jerusalem (AsiaNews / Agencies) - The Palestinian Authority has failed to convince the member states of the Arab League to condemn the agreement that provides for the normalization of relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and the opening of official diplomatic channels. The agreement signed on August 13 last and strongly supported by the United States and by the administration of President Donald Trump, aims to extend the number of countries involved starting from Saudi Arabia.
During a videoconference meeting of the organization’s foreign ministers, Palestinian representatives appeared less hostile to the agreement, which will be officially ratified on September 15 in Washington, under the auspices of the White House. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Emirati Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed al Nahyan will lead the official delegations. According to the provisions, the Gulf state is committed to normalizing diplomatic relations with Israel, which will suspend its annexation operations in the West Bank.
"The discussions on this point [the ratification of the agreement] have been intense," said Hossam Zaki, deputy secretary general of the Arab League. It was, he continues, an "exhaustive" confrontation which took some time, but in the end "did not lead to an agreement on the draft statement [of condemnation] proposed by the Palestinian side".
Most recently the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem expressed his hostility to the normalization of relations, the latest Middle Eastern Muslim leader to do so. He resigned from the Emirati-based Peace Promotion Forum in protest against the organization’s public support. On the contrary, the possible "opening" to the agreement of the imam of the Great Mosque of Mecca Abdulrahman al-Sudais had raised controversy and attacks on social networks.
The Palestinians fear that the agreement calls into question the position of the member states of the League, which have made the Israeli withdrawal from the occupied territories and the creation of a Palestinian state indispensable conditions for the normalization of relations with Israel. Prince Faisal ben Farhan, Saudi Foreign Minister, confirmed Riyadh's support for the creation of a Palestinian state within the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.
