Erekat tells diplomats world must hold Israel to account

Senior PLO official Saeb Erekat on Saturday urged the international community to hold the Israeli government to account and stop treating Israel as above the law. Erekat’s remarks came during separate meetings with the US consul general in Jerusalem Daniel Rubinstein, the French consul general Frédéric Desagneaux, and representative of Japan to the Palestinian Authority Naofumi Hashimoto, a press statement said. Erekat said Israel's closure of civil society organizations in East Jerusalem, its continuation of settlement activities and the ongoing blockade on the Gaza Strip reflect an ongoing trend of thwarting the peace process and all attempts to resume negotiations. The measures are also part of Israel's efforts to eliminate the two-state solution, he added. The Fatah official urged UN member countries to vote in favor of Palestine's membership at the international body. "Voting pro Palestine will support peace and the two-state solution. It is the shortest way to achieve comprehensive, sustainable, and just peace in the Middle East," he said.