They support the Palestinian Authority for a two-state future
Brussels (EFE).- International partners and donors of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) met in Brussels this Sunday to support its new Prime Minister, Mohammad Mustafa, who showed himself a “responsible” partner for the future of the two states for Palestine and Israel.
“These meetings are crucial to moving towards an independent, sovereign and viable Palestinian state. Today is a very important opportunity to present to our international partners the plans and priorities we have as a new government for the next mandate,” Mustafa said in a statement ahead of today’s ministerial meeting held at the European Commission headquarters.
This is his first visit to Brussels since taking office in mid-March and he attended a meeting with around twenty countries and international organizations, hosted by the head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell, chaired by the Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Espen Barth Eide, and which was also attended by the Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Alberes.
The head of the Palestinian government presented himself as a reliable partner in the eyes of the international community and set the reconstruction of Gaza as the first priority of his new executive, for which he called for a ceasefire.
When the war is over, the ANP wants to be “ready” to “take care of” the civilian population in the Strip, as well as “re-integrate the institutions of Gaza, now controlled by the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, into the West Bank, in the hands of the secular Fatah party.”
Improving the economic situation in Palestine is one of Mustafa’s great priorities, and in this sense he asked the international community to put pressure on Israel to unlock funds belonging to the ANP, which the Israelis have withheld since the beginning of the war.
A single Palestinian government
“We must take better care of the Palestinian authorities because we have no choice, and I think we are all convinced that there is no long-term alternative to a two-state solution. The two-state solution requires a Palestinian government, ”the head of Norwegian diplomacy stressed.
Norway, which together with Spain and Ireland will officially recognise the Palestinian state next Tuesday, estimates that the Palestinian National Authority, “which has all control in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, should be able to survive, strengthen itself and improve. It has the ability to provide services, make improvements and plan for a return to Gaza in the future, because we want Palestine to be governed by a single government,” Eide said.
“We need to strengthen the voice of moderates who really want to achieve a solution in which both Israelis and Palestinians can live together in peace,” the Norwegian foreign minister stressed, calling on the Palestinians to not only listen “carefully” to Mustafa’s plans but also understand “how serious the situation is.”
For Eid, Mustafa’s government, with support, would be able to “become the embryo of the state that we not only recognize, but also want to see in practice on the ground.”
“Extremely difficult times” and “extreme challenges”
“It is very important that we come together to support the Palestinian Authority because this is an extremely difficult time for the Palestinians,” Borrell said.
And he painted a discouraging scenario: “The situation in Gaza is worse than the worst. The occupied West Bank is on the brink and in danger of exploding at any moment. And as we speak, military operations continue in and around Rafah.”
In addition, the borders are closed to humanitarian supplies and dozens of Israeli hostages are in the hands of Hamas, which today attacked Tel Aviv with rockets for the first time in four months. “This must also stop,” Borrell said.
He highlighted the “enormous challenges” facing the Palestinian Authority, including “the alarming socioeconomic crisis, the impact of the humanitarian tragedy in Gaza, the lockdown imposed in the West Bank and other punitive actions announced by the Israeli occupation authorities such as the cutting of all their income.”
Borrell urged “more to be done” to help Mustafa’s new government, saying, “That’s why today, together with international partners and donors, we will focus on how we can best support the Palestinian Authority at this critical time.”