Islamic Jihad mulls taking part in upcoming PLO meet

By Qais Abu Samra

RAMALLAH, Palestine (AA) - Islamic Jihad will likely take part in a meeting of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO)’s Central Council to be held later this month, according to a source within the group.

The source, who spoke anonymously due to the issue's sensitivity, told Anadolu Agency on Friday that the group was seriously considering an invitation it received to participate in the upcoming meeting.

"There's a general inclination [within Islamic Jihad] to take part in the meeting with a view to positively influencing its outcome," the source said.

The PLO Central Council is expected to convene the meeting -- under the banner "Jerusalem is Palestine's eternal capital" -- on Jan. 14.

The stated aim of the meeting is to forge a unified stance in the face of U.S. President Donald Trump's decision last month to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital.

The PLO is an umbrella group that includes most major Palestinian political factions, with the exception of Hamas and Islamic Jihad.

The last meeting of the PLO Central Council was held in 2015 in Ramallah, the Palestinian Authority's administrative capital.

On Thursday, both Hamas and Islamic Jihad announced that they had received official invitations to participate in the Jan. 14 council meeting.

The two groups, both of which are committed to a policy of armed resistance against Israel's decades-long occupation, have said they would consider the offer.

On Sunday, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas announced that the Central Council would soon convene an emergency meeting to discuss "crucial issues" related to Jerusalem.

On Dec. 6, the U.S. president announced his decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital, sparking widespread condemnation and protest from across the Arab and Muslim world.

Jerusalem remains at the heart of the Middle East conflict, with Palestinians hoping that East Jerusalem -- occupied by Israel -- might eventually serve as the capital of an independent Palestinian state.