Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has said that US President Donald Trump’s “deal of the century” peace plan is “dead” after the US administration's declaration that it no longer considers Israeli settlements to be in violation of international law.
In an interview with Israeli Army Radio held at his office in Ramallah on Wednesday, Abbas said that the Palestinian Authority was writing off the plan, even before it was released.
On Monday, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that the establishment of Israeli civilian settlements in the West Bank is not inconsistent with international law.
“We said all along that the deal of the century had no basis in reality,” Abbas said. “After the comments made by Pompeo, it is now lifeless. The Americans have no right to contradict decisions made by international bodies,” such as the United Nations, he said.
His comments came amid a large scale rejection of the US position.
An official source at the Saudi Foreign Ministry said the Kingdom completely rejects Washington’s remarks that the settlements in Palestinian territories are legal.
The Arab League also decided to hold an emergency meeting of foreign ministers on Monday to discuss Washington’s change of position.
The Vatican joined the chorus of opposition to the US announcement, saying "In the context of recent decisions that risk undermining further the Israeli-Palestinian peace process and the already fragile regional stability, the Holy See reiterates its position of a two-state solution for two peoples, as the only way to reach a complete solution to this age-old conflict.”
Palestinian Presidential spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeina described the US decisions on Jerusalem and settlements as one of the biggest crimes of the century.
He said in a statement that Washington is making a historic mistake by adopting a colonial policy in its position on Jerusalem and the settlements.
Abu Rudeina said that such repeated mistakes will contribute to inflaming the entire region.
