Palestine will pursue 'other options' if Israel rejects two-state solution: Pres Abbas

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas stated on October 2 that if Israel rejects the two-state solution, Palestinians will be forced to pursue other political options, such as the 1947 United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine.

The President delivered the statements at his Ramallah office during a meeting with representatives from the West Bank provinces of Bethlehem and Hebron.

President Abbas told the delegations that Israel's rejection of the two-state solution will push them to look for alternative choices, WAFA reported.

“We will seek for the implementation of the 1947 United Nations Security Council decision, or we will go to the one democratic state on the ground of historic Palestine, where Palestinians would have full political and civil rights,” he said, WAFA reported.

The President asked the international community to assist Palestinians in obtaining their rights and to pressurise Israel to cease abusing Palestinians.

“The time has come to implement the decisions of international legitimacy. [We’ve had enough] promises and delays by the parties of the international community concerning the ending of the occupation and the establishment of an independent and sovereign Palestinian state," he further added, as per WAFA reports.

Two-state solution

The two-state solution to the Israeli–Palestinian conflict envisions an autonomous Palestinian state west of the Jordan River coexisting with Israel. The border between the two states is still a point of contention and negotiation, with Palestinian and Arab officials insisting on the "1967 borders," which Israel does not recognise.

The former Mandate Palestine region (including Jerusalem) that did not become a part of the Palestinian State, would remain as a part of Israel.

Since the Arab Summit in Fez in 1982, the Palestinian leadership has supported the concept. Moves by Palestinian officials to secure international recognition of a Palestinian state are viewed by Israel as unilateral Palestinian action that is incompatible with a negotiated two-state solution.

Image: AP