Fayyad sounds conciliatory towards Israel

The Palestinian Authority calls for an end to Israel’s settlement construction and its incursions into Palestinian areas to assure an end to the occupation.

In a rare speech to an Israeli audience, Palestinian caretaker Prime Minister Salam Fayyad said that Israel’s settlement expansions in the West Bank are swallowing up the territory where the Palestinians hope to build a state.

“The Palestinian state is supposed to emerge precisely where settlements are expanding,” Fayyad told the 10th Herzliya Conference.

Fayyad also noted Israel’s inability to freeze the construction of settlements, raising doubts as to whether Tel Aviv intends to implement a future agreement.

“The political question I have is how confident can we be that once relaunched, the political process is going to be able to deliver that which needs to be delivered on the permanent status issues, on the key question of ending the occupation?” he asked.

Fayyad called on Tel Aviv to stop incursions into the Palestinian territories and demanded formal security presence of Palestinians in other population areas outside the part currently controlled by the Palestinian Authority, saying it would give Palestinians confidence that Israel really intended to end the occupation.

Fayyad reiterated the Palestinians’ right to East Jerusalem Al-Quds — occupied by Israel in 1967 and illegally annexed later — and noted that the territory was no less than the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

He also emphasized on an end to the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories and the acceptance of the Palestinian statehood as the solution for easing tensions in the region.

The official repeated the Palestinian Authority’s commitment to its “recognition of Israel’s right to peace and security” and expressed ‘sympathy’ with the Israelis for the “pain” they have suffered throughout their history.

“Like you, we Palestinians have our own history. Right now we are going through lots of pain and suffering. And we have one key aspiration, and that is once again to be able to live alongside you in peace, harmony and security,” he asserted in a conciliatory tone.

Observers note that Fayyad’s submissive statements in the face of continuing abuses against the Palestinians by the Israeli occupiers are certain to induce major protests among the Palestinian population and resistance leaders.