Palestinians urge demos, strike against US-led conference

AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): Palestinian factions called for demonstrations and a general strike in protest at an upcoming US-led conference in Bahrain, which centers on a controversial Washington-crafted “peace” plan.

On Saturday, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah Party announced factions within the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) umbrella group had called for the demos and the strike, Middle East News reported.

The factions have set June 24, a day ahead of the two-day conference, as the day when the rallies will begin across the Israeli-occupied West Bank and the blockaded Gaza Strip. The strike is planned to start across the Palestinian territories as the event begins in the Bahraini capital, Manama.

The conference is meant to offer economic incentives for the US-devised plan, which Washington has called “Deal of the Century” and which it says would resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

But, according to reports that have revealed the details of the plan, it ignores the Palestinians’ rights and historical demands altogether.

The Palestinians, who would normally be one party to any deal on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, have rejected the plan based on the details that have emerged.

The Palestinian Authority, headed by Abbas, stopped recognizing any “peace” role by Washington in late 2017 after the White House recognized the holy city of Jerusalem al-Quds in the West Bank as Israel’s “capital”, sidestepping Palestinians’ age-old demand that the city’s Eastern part serve as the capital of their future state.

The authority has also called on all Arab countries to refrain from participating in the conference.

Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have, however, announced readiness to take part in the conference. So have Egypt and Jordan, which have open diplomatic ties with the Israeli regime.

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