An associate of Abu Mazen: "Talks with Israel are negotiations with the enemy" | Israel Today

Palestinian Authority Minister of Civil Affairs and new member of the PLO Executive Committee, Hussein a-Sheikh, said this morning (Monday) on the Saudi Al-Sharq channel that "the Palestinian president will come only through the ballot box and not through appointment," and rejected claims that he Plans to be appointed to a position without democratic procedure. "A commander or leader will not come through propaganda or through Israeli tanks or by a regional or international decision.

"There are institutions in the Fatah movement and in the PLO that have this right to vote," he said.

According to an associate of Abu Mazen, dialogue between the Palestinian factions is a top priority and "there is no partner on the Israeli side to create peace."

Al-Sheikh also accused "Israel of striving to deepen the Palestinian division in order to kill the state project, independence and liberation, and to promote partial solutions based on the state of Gaza and the establishment of occupation in the West Bank."

Hussein al-Sheikh shakes Egyptian president's hand during visit by Palestinian delegation to Sharm el-Sheikh, Photo: From a-Sheikh's Facebook page

At the same time, the senior Palestinian official said that the meetings with senior Israeli officials would continue as part of what he described as "negotiations with the enemy." Collaboration.

"You are negotiating with your enemy. The Palestinian-Israeli conflict will not end in a knockout."

Al-Sheikh also denied the allegations that he was striving for "economic peace with Israel," emphasizing that "there is no economic or social solution in the mind of any senior Palestinian official."

The Minister also expressed his impression of his meetings with Defense Minister Bnei Gantz and Foreign Minister Yair Lapid, as well as with other Israeli politicians and said: "Unfortunately I say there is no partner on the Israeli side. There is no partner for peace. They have incomplete visions and when they talk about a two solution "Our countries stand out from our controversy. Some are interested in a state in Gaza and some are talking about a state in Gaza with autonomy in the West Bank. There is a group that supports a state of cantons in the West Bank. And most there believe that a united Jerusalem is the capital of Israel."

Foreign Minister Lapid at a faction meeting, archive, Photo: Oren Ben Hakon

"Meeting between Bennett and Abu Mazen - not on the agenda"

The Palestinian minister revealed that there were extensive contacts between the PA and the Biden administration and expressed hope that the Americans would present an American vision even though so far not.

He said he had asked the administration to convene the Quartet and criticized Washington's efforts based on "changing the general atmosphere between the Israeli side and the Palestinian side." 

A-Sheikh further noted that discussions are taking place between Israel and the PA regarding the creation of a political horizon and the improvement of the general atmosphere through the release of Palestinian prisoners and especially "political leaders, the sick, women and the elderly."

Thus, for example, he claimed that the discussions also included "the delivery of martyrs' bodies, the unification of families and the return of Palestinian security forces to the external crossings with Jordan."

A-Sheikh noted that in light of his refusal to conduct political negotiations on a two-state solution, there is no meeting on the agenda between Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Palestinian Authority Chairman Abu Mazen.

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