PLO leadership votes to suspend security cooperation with Israel
Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas at the meeting of the Palestine Liberation Organisation’s central committee. Photograph: Majdi Mohammed/AP
The leadership of the Palestine Liberation Organisation has voted to suspend all security cooperation with Israel, insisting that Israel, as occupying power, “should assume all responsibilities” for the Palestinian territories under international law.
A statement issued by the PLO’s central committee on Thursday night announced it was calling for the suspension of “all forms of security coordination given Israel’s systematic and ongoing non-compliance with its obligations under signed agreements, including its daily military raids throughout the State of Palestine, attacks against our civilians and properties.”
Although the final decision to implement the council’s decision rests with the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, usually well informed sources told the Guardian that Abbas supported the decision.
The move, after two days of talks by the PLO’s central council, comes in the midst of a close-run Israeli election campaign and is certain to escalate tension between Palestinians and Israelis.
The statement added: “Israel, the occupying power in Palestine, must assume all its responsibilities in accordance with its obligations under international law.”
It called for a boycott of all “Israeli products and not only those coming from Israeli settlements”, adding: “Israel must pay the price for its refusal to assume its responsibilities under international law, including the systematic denial of the Palestinian right to self-determination.”
Although the Guardian understands that the end of security cooperation will not be immediate, the decision by the PLO is regarded as binding on the Palestinian Authority and Abbas.
Security cooperation between the Palestinian Authority on the West Bank andIsrael has long been seen as key to maintaining a fragile calm between the two sides and its ending would mark a serious escalation of the recent crisis between the two sides since the collapse of US-led peace talks almost a year ago.
The move comes only a couple of weeks before Palestine’s formal accession to the International Criminal Court (ICC) on 1 April when Palestinians are expected to present cases alleging serious breaches of international law to the court of last resort.
That, in turn, would trigger the United States Congress to order the withholding of US aid to the Palestinian Authority under legislation passed by Congress.
The decision by the PLO’s central committee follows the decision by Israel to withhold tax monies it collects on behalf of the Palestinian Authority after Abbas applied to join the ICC. As a result, the Palestinian Authority has struggled to pay the wages of its employees for the past two months, including the police forces.
