Erekat: International community must act against settlement activities

PLO Executive Committee Member, Saeb Erekat, Thursday called on the international community to take actual measures against the Israeli government’s decision to build 1100 housing units in East Jerusalem settlement of Gilo. In Separate meetings with the United Nations’ consuls and representatives, UN’s Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Robert Serry and representatives of India, South Africa, Norway, and Brazil, Erekat stressed that the Israeli government has officially responded to the statement of the international quartet by confirming its choice to continue constructing new housing units and to dictate, at the expense of peace and negotiations. He questioned how a number of the international quartet members could first condemn the Israeli decision to build 1100 housing units in Jerusalem and then call to resume negotiations. He praised members of the UN security council including: Russia, China, Brazil, and South Africa for their supportive positions of the Palestinian bid. He called on the rest of the council members to support the Palestinian UN bid “if they truly want to preserve the option of the two-state solution”.