Erekat Thanks UN For Its Stance Against Home Demolitions, Settlements

Friday November 06, 2009 07:48 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies

Palestinian Chief Negotiator, Dr. Saeb Erekat, thanked the United Nations for its stance rejecting Israeli demolition of Palestinian homes of Jerusalem, and the ongoing illegal settlement activities.

Dr. Saeb Erekat - alwatanvoice

He called on Israel to stop all provocative acts especially those aiming at evicting Palestinians from their homes in Jerusalem.

His statements came during a meeting with UN Envoy, Robert Serry. The Palestinian official stated that the ongoing Israeli settlement activities and Israel’s rejection to resume peace talks from the point they were halted in 2000, shows that the government of Netanyahu wants to void the first and second phases of the internationally approved Road Map peace plan.

He called on Israel to revoke eviction orders targeting Palestinian families from their homes in Jerusalem, and called on the UN to condemn these illegal activities.

Erekat also said that the Netanyahu government wants to enforce its own vision of a state with temporary borders and without any real independence for the Palestinians.

This ‘state’ does not include Jerusalem and does not include the Right of Return of the Palestinian refugees.

He added that the a comprehensive and everlasting peace means a full Israeli withdrawal to the 1967 borders, including East Jerusalem, and establishing an independent Palestinians in addition to resolving the issue of the refugees, borders, security, water and the release of all political prisoners.

Erekat also said that the Quartet Committee (the United Nations, the United States, Russia, and the European Union) called on Israel, in their September 24 statement, to halt all of its settlement activities, including what Israel described as ‘natural growth’ in East Jerusalem.

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