PLO Central Council to Convene Next Month to Discuss Revoking Recognition of Israel

The Central Council of the Palestine Liberation Organization—the dominant body in the Palestinian Authority that considers itself the lone voice of the Palestinian people—will convene next month to discuss the possibility of nullifying the 1993 Oslo Accords by withdrawing recognition of Israel’s right to exist. Such an eventuality would also likely lead to an end to security coordination between the PA and Israeli forces. Both  sides have long considered the cooperation beneficial as it reduces the incidence of terrorist attacks emanating from the West Bank while preventing Hamas from building up a political and military presence therein that could threaten Ramallah. PA President Mahmoud Abbas, who this week addressed Arab League foreign ministers in Cairo, will visit numerous European and Middle East nations ahead of the May 15 Central Council meeting to brief foreign leaders on measures being planned to counter US President Donald Trump’s peace plan – which is expected to be unveiled in June. In his speech in Egypt, Abbas insinuated that the PA could conceivably rescind all previous agreements forged with the Jewish state, and claimed that Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu “does not believe in peace between us.”