Former Arab League Secretary-General praises UAE for normalizing ties with Israel. PLO calls it a “stab in the back with a poisoned knife”
Headline: “Erekat criticizes Amr Moussa’s call for the Arab states to hold normalization with the occupation [Israel]”
“PLO Executive Committee Secretary Saeb Erekat criticized the statements of former Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa, who demanded that additional Arab states follow the UAE in order to register more achievements for the Palestinians (refers to Israel-UAE peace agreement; see note below –Ed.)…
Erekat explained that [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu answered everyone who attempted to beautify the UAE’s recognition of Israel, the occupation of Jerusalem, and its Judaization by claiming that this stopped the annexation, when he said: ‘Annexation is on the table and it will be carried out.’
[He added:] ‘Normalization with Israel is a prize for the occupation’s crimes, so is this an achievement for Palestine and its people? …The PLO is the one who determines everything connected to Palestinian affairs, just as the UAE is the one who determines its affairs. If the UAE had said that it had established relations with Israel because this serves its regional and international interests, and if Mr. Amr Moussa had said that the UAE’s decision serves its interests and that he supports normalization with Israel, our response would be different. But we will not agree to them stabbing us in the back with a poisoned knife and telling us that this is for our benefit.’”
Saeb Erekat also serves as Fatah Central Committee member and PLO Chief Negotiator.
Israel-UAE peace agreement (Abraham Accords) – an agreement normalizing diplomatic ties between Israel and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which was announced on Aug. 13, 2020, under the mediation of US President Donald Trump. Pursuant to the agreement, the countries will discuss bilateral cooperation on a number of topics. In exchange for the agreement, Israel agreed to suspend its previously announced plans to apply Israel's civilian law to parts of Judea, Samaria and the Jordan Valley as per the Trump peace plan. The US announced that “Muslims throughout the world who wish to come in peace to pray at the Al Aqsa Mosque, will now be able to fly to Tel Aviv through Abu Dhabi to do so and will be welcomed.”