RAMALLAH: In a response to the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain normalisingtheir ties with Israel, the Palestinian Authority has formally stepped downfrom a key role in the Arab League.
Foreign Minister Riyad-al-Maliki stated that the failure of the 22-memberregional bloc to condemn member nations, and their “betrayal” of thePalestinian cause, was dishonourable and termed the normalisation ofrelations as “a regression in values and principles”.
The United Arab Emirates and the Kingdom of Bahrain signed deals inWashington on September 15link, which despite beinghailed as “the dawn of the new Middle East” by the Trump Administration,drew criticism from the Palestinians – seen as a serious blow to theirefforts to end illegal Israeli occupation and achieve an independent state.
Palestine was expected to chair the Arab League for the next six months,but Maliki stated yesterday in a press conferencelink,“Palestine has decided to concede its right to chair the League’s council[of foreign ministers] at its current session. There is no honour in seeingArabs rush towards normalisation during its presidency”.
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Earlier this monthlink,the Palestinian Authority failed to persuade the Arab League to formallycondemn member nations for breaking ranks.
