PA Prime Minister says the Negev Summit is "nothing but a delusion and a free gift to Israel"
Headline: “The [PA] government decides to hold a special meeting today to discuss the 2022 budget proposal”
“Yesterday [March 28, 2022,] the [PA] government decided to hold a special meeting today to discuss the 2022 budget proposal…
In his speech at the start of the meeting, [PA Prime Minister Muhammad] Shtayyeh warned Israel ‘not to continue the attacks on our land and our holy sites, and not to allow the settlers to enter the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque (i.e., the Temple Mount).’
He added: ‘It is unbearable already. Our people in Jerusalem will continue to stand on guard against all the attempts that will certainly lead to an unprecedented escalation, especially considering that we are mere days from blessed Land Day (see note below -Ed.) and the blessed [Muslim fasting] month of Ramadan.’ …
He emphasized that ‘The Arab normalization meetings [with Israel] without the end of the occupation are nothing but a delusion and a free gift to Israel (refers to March 2022 Negev Summit attended by Egypt, Bahrain, Morocco, and the UAE as part of the Abraham Accords; see note below -Ed.).’”
Land Day – annual commemoration of the general strike and demonstrations organized by Israeli Arab residents of the Galilee on March 30, 1976 to protest the Israeli government's decision to expropriate land in the Galilee for security and building purposes, which it later implemented. During the protests, demonstrators burnt tires, blocked roads, and threw rocks and firebombs. Six demonstrators were shot and killed by the Israeli army and police. Israeli Arabs and Palestinians consider Land Day a national day.
Israeli peace agreements with the UAE and Bahrain (the Abraham Accords), Sudan, and Morocco – an agreement normalizing diplomatic ties between Israel and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) was announced on Aug. 13, 2020, under the mediation of US President Donald Trump. Following the UAE, Bahrain reached a similar peace agreement with Israel, as was announced on Sept. 11, 2020. The agreements were signed at the White House on Sept. 15, 2020, by Trump, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and Bahraini Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani. Pursuant to the Abraham Accords, Israel and the UAE 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.” On Oct. 23, 2020, Sudan also formally agreed to normalize relations with Israel. Israel reached a similar normalization agreement with Morocco on Dec. 10, 2020.