PLO calls for urgent action plan on Israel

By Eyser el-Ays

RAMALLAH, Palestine (AA) – The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) on Saturday ordered the Palestinian government to draw up an emergency action plan on disengaging from Israel.

According to a statement issued after a meeting of the PLO’s executive committee in the West Bank city of Ramallah chaired by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, the organization called on the government to devise an urgent roadmap on cutting contacts with Israel at the political, governmental, economic and security levels.

It also decided to seek action against the Israeli occupation at the UN Security Council, the General Assembly and the International Criminal Court in The Hague.

The Ramallah-based PLO asked the government to submit the action plan to the executive committee, the statement added.

The meeting agreed on ceasing security coordination and economic relations with Israel and establishing a higher committee to execute the PLO central council’s decisions, including suspending Palestine’s recognition of Israel until it recognizes the state of Palestine with its borders defined in 1967.

Describing U.S. President Donald Trump’s Palestine policy as “against national legitimate decisions”, the statement also asked Washington to review it.

On Dec. 6, Trump officially recognized Jerusalem as Israel's capital, sparking widespread condemnation and protests across the Arab and Muslim world.

Jerusalem remains at the core of the Middle East conflict, with Palestinians hoping that East Jerusalem -- occupied by Israel since 1967 -- might eventually serve as the capital of a Palestinian state.