JERUSALEM (JTA) — Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said the P.A. will not apply to any more international organizations.
In an interview with the Times of Israel published Wednesday, Abbas said the P.A. will refrain in order to see how the diplomatic standstill with Israel develops.
As negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority stalled in April, Abbas signed P.A. applications to 15 international treaties and organizations in retaliation for Israel’s reneging on the release of a final batch of Palestinian prisoners from a deal signed last July.
Israel suspended peace talks after Abbas’ Fatah party signed a reconciliation agreement with Hamas, the terrorist group that governs Gaza.
Abbas told the Times of Israel that the Fatah-Hamas unity government will meet the conditions set down by Israel — recognizing Israel, renouncing violence and abiding by previous Israeli-Palestinian accords — and will include ministers who are members of neither party. Israel has said it will not negotiate with a government backed by Hamas unless Hamas meets those conditions; Hamas has refused.
Abbas said his meeting last week with Israeli Justice Minister Tzipi Livni was positive.
In the interview, he condemned the killing of two Palestinian teens by Israeli soldiers at a May 15 rally to mark Nakba Day, or “the catastrophe.” He also condemned a Palestinian attack the same day on two Israeli journalists.
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