The State of Palestine rejects the United States’ administration’s so-called plan and considers it a declaration of hostility against the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people.
This plan poses a serious threat to the rules-based international order and the foundations of international law. It is a conceptually flawed, absolutist and irresponsible agreement of surrender that the US administration wants to coerce Palestine into signing.
The plan discards the requirements of peace by endorsing the annexation of large parts of the Occupied Palestinian Territory and alters the lives of thousands of Palestinian-Israeli citizens, both of which are crimes strictly prohibited under international law.
It does not regard the Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, as occupied, and thus discards the international consensus on the issue. The plan endorses the illegal annexation of occupied Jerusalem, in defiance of the UN Charter and relevant UN Security Council and General Assembly resolutions.
The plan presents a disconnected and unviable archipelago of Palestinian communities stripped of any sovereignty or viability, deprived of any control over borders, airspace, territorial waters, security or natural resources. The plan also conditions economic and political development in Palestine, hence removing any pretence of sovereignty.
Additionally, the plan rejects the rights of Palestinian refugees and requires Palestine to abandon all efforts to seek justice and redress through international tribunals. These are conditions that no country can accept.
We view accepting this dangerous proposal as tantamount to endorsing a new and lawless era in international politics where aggression and annexation are normalised. Endorsing this plan and its false claims would unravel the international rules-based order and the system of laws and regulations that constitutes international relations for over seventy years. It surrenders future generations to chaos, lawlessness and the rule of the jungle.
The State of Palestine reminds all states of their responsibility to strictly refrain from aiding or abetting, whether directly or indirectly, violations of international law, including annexation.
States that accept or normalise the US-Israeli agenda of annexation and denial of Palestinian national rights would be complicit in undermining the standing of the international order.
We call on responsible actors to take serious and effective measures to protect the requirements of peace; they should ensure accountability by adopting the logical and responsible course of action of exacting a cost for the continuation of this illegal occupation and annexation.
The State of Palestine does not consider this plan a basis for any credible or constructive dialogue as it contains all the elements of perpetual conflict, oppression and injustice.
It has no legal or political validity and we will not engage in any discussion based on its content.
We reaffirm that the rights of the Palestinian people to self-determination, freedom, justice and sovereignty are fundamental and non-negotiable.
We will fulfil our responsibility to defend the inalienable rights of our people by pursuing all available legal and diplomatic avenues to protect our national rights and confront this announced plan of aggression in line with international law, and cooperate with states that share our values.
We reaffirm our readiness to engage in a constructive and meaningful political effort on the basis of international law, relevant United Nations resolutions, and the Arab Peace Initiative.
The Palestinians are ready to work with the international community to achieve a reality of peace, dignity and justice on this solid foundation.
Fadi Hanania, Ambassador of the State of Palestine to the Republic of Malta, Swieqi