RAMALLAH, August 28, 2011 (WAFA) - PLO Executive Committee member, Hanan Ashrawi, pressed for EU support for PLO efforts to have Palestine admitted as a member state of the United Nations next month, during her meeting with European Union Foreign Policy Chief, Catherine Ashton on Saturday, according to a press release.
Ashrawi, also a member of the Palestinian Legislative Council, said, “Europe should maintain its position on Palestine as outlined by the Council of the European Union in its December 2009 statement, including its commitment to upholding international law, its designation of Israeli settlements as both illegal and an obstacle to peace, its acknowledgement of Jerusalem as the capital of two states, and its recognition of the importance of establishing a sovereign Palestinian state.”
Ashrawi emphasized the importance of recognizing and addressing the serious shortcomings of the so-called peace process.
“It is obvious that two decades of negotiations have failed to bring about peace based on justice and international law, and that the Middle East ‘peace process’ is seriously flawed. A return to more of the same will only lead to a worsening of this situation,” added Ashrawi.
She emphasized that Israeli unilateral actions continue to undermine prospects for reaching a just and lasting peace, and threaten the very viability of the two-state solution, adding that “we must act before it is too late.”
“Our decision to go to the United Nations is an attempt to rectify this situation. It is both a positive and constructive move that will help prevent a return to violence by pursuing non-violent alternatives based on international law and multilateralism,” Ashrawi concluded.
She later joined the meeting of President Mahmoud Abbas and the Norwegian Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Støre.
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