Palestinian Parliament Speaker Ahmed Qorei said on army radio Thursday that the Palestinians should declare their own state "immediately," saying both sides, as well as the international community, had declared backing for an independent Palestine.
He said Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and his Foreign Minister Shimon Peres are "not against a Palestinian state. (US President George W.) Bush and (British Prime Minister Tony) Blair are supporting it.
"I think it is time for the Palestinians to declare a Palestinian state and to ask the Americans, the British, the Europeans and Israel to recognize it."
The speaker’s statement was quoted by AFP, and came also in an interview with Abu Dhabi satellite channel Thursday morning.
Qorei was not clear whether the declaration was to be made unilaterally without the green light from the US, or otherwise.
So far, the Palestinians have failed in two attempts, in 1999 and 2000, for a unilateral declaration of statehood, bowing underintense pressure from the US and Israel.
The US and the UK are not expected to accept such a move, as their latest "support" has ended at promoting negotiations with the aim of facilitiating a kind of independence agreed upon by Israel and Palestinians.
Sharon told a Jewish delegation in Israel Wednesday that he would personally head a delegation for talks with the Palestinians, but said the outcome should not be at the expense of “Israel’s security.”
Sharon himself has not opposed the idea of a Palestinian state, provided that it is established on 40-50 percent of the occupied lands, with security and foreign affairs be in the hands of Israel.
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has said that Bush would fulfill his promise to support the establishment of a Palestinian state, adding that the pro-Israel lobby would not influence him as it had former president Bill Clinton.
But analysts remain skeptical over Bush and Blair’s statements, seeing them as hollow promises made to woo the Arabs and Muslims into an “international coalition” to combat terrorism – Albawaba.com
