Dr. Saeb Erakat calls on the International Community to stand with the Palestinians in their diplomatic battle against Israeli occupation

Dr. Saeb Erakat, Head of the Palestine Liberation Organization Negotiations Affairs Department, today emphasized that the move to issue a Security Council resolution recognizing the Palestinian state on the borders of June 4th,1967 has begun.

This came during a press conference that Dr. Erakat has held in the Negotiations Affairs Department today.

Dr. Erakat said that the Palestinian leadership calls on the international community to support this move, pointing out that he called on European countries to back the Palestinian decision by expressing their commitment to international law to end the Israeli occupation and save the two-state solution.

In response to the comments of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who announced that the Israeli response will also be unilateral, Dr. Erakat said: "Israel's daily provocative actions are unilateral. Occupied East Jerusalem has become the key battleground on which the very future of the two-state solution hinges. Without East Jerusalem as its capital, there can be no economically or politically viable Palestinian state. Nor can there be a Palestinian state without Gaza. In Gaza, Israel today maintains its military occupation by siege, causing untold human suffering through its policy of collective punishment. As demanded by the international community, Israel must end the siege on Gaza and implement its obligations".

In addition, Dr. Erekat noted that the Security Council resolution on a Palestinian state will have to address the equally important issue of Palestinians refugees, and will call for the full enforcement of their rights in accordance with UN General Assembly Resolution 194.

Dr. Saeb Erekat concluded by saying: "We are now facing a moment of truth. We will seek to pass this Security Council resolution and the activation of the Fourth Geneva Convention to protect the Palestinian people."