Palestinians resume coordination with Israel

By Salam Abu Sharar

GAZA CITY, Palestine (AA) – The Palestinian Authority announced Tuesday that it is resuming security coordination and other diplomatic relations with Israel after suspending the policy in May due to Tel Aviv’s annexation plans.

“In light of the calls made by President [Mahmoud] #Abbas regarding Israel's commitment to the bilateral signed agreements, & based on the official written and oral letters we received, confirming Israel's commitment to them. Accordingly, the relationship with #Israel will return to how it was,” Palestinian Civil Affairs Minister Hussein Al-Sheikh wrote on Twitter.

“Regarding your letter of October 7th, 2020, Israel has previously stated that the bilateral Israeli-Palestinian agreements continue to form the applicable legal framework governing the conduct of the parties on the financial and other matters,” said the letter that Al-Sheikh received today from Kamil Abu Rukun, the coordinator of Israeli government activities in the Palestinian territories.

The Prime Minister of Palestine, Mohammad Shtayyeh, confirmed that the Palestinian Authority received a letter from Israel saying it is committed to all agreements so they announced the resumption of connections.

Meanwhile, the Palestinian factions denounced the announcement.

This decision gives the countries that have normalized ties with Israel a justification which we refused, Hamas said in a statement.

“This decision represents a challenge to national efforts to build a national partnership, a strategy of struggle against occupation, annexation, normalization and the Deal of the Century and comes at the same time as the announcement of thousands of settlement units in the occupied city of Jerusalem.”

It said the Palestinian Authority must back out of its decision immediately and not bet on US President-elect Joe Biden or any other leaders to liberate the land, adding the only way for freedom is national unity.

The Palestinian Authority interrupted the connections with Israel in May in protest against Tel Aviv’s annexation plan for parts of the occupied West Bank under US President Donald Trump’s “Deal of the Century.”