US pressurizing Arab countries into normalizing ties with Israel: Palestine

Ramallah, Sep 12 (IANS) A senior Palestinian official on Saturday accused the United States of pressurising Arab countries into normalizing relations with Israel. "Washington exploits its political and economic power to force the Arab countries to normalize ties with Israel," said Hanan Ashrawi, a member of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Executive Committee, in a press statement."The US government is using all means of incitement, intimidation and pressure" to achieve the goal, she added.

Ashwawi's comments referred to US President Donald Trump's declaration that the United Arab Emirates and the Kingdom of Bahrain agreed to normalize their relations with Israel, Xinhua news agency reported.The US-sponsored normalization agreements between Israel and the Arab countries have outraged the Palestinians who consider the deals a stab in their back and at the expense of the Palestinian cause.

"The American efforts aim to approve the Israeli plan of annexing what remains of the Palestinian lands, which is a flagrant violation of international legitimacy and international resolutions," Ashrawi noted.

"(Israeli) normalization with Arab countries will not bring security and stability to the region. On the contrary, it will bring division and instability," she concluded.
--IANS sdr/