Israel urged to give map of state to Palestinians

YASSER ABED Rabbo, a senior Palestinian official, yesterday called on the US and Israel to provide a map of the state of Israel that Israel wants the Palestinians to accept.

“Israel is an unknown entity in terms of borders, [so] how does it suggest we recognise it as a Jewish state?” he asked.

“We want to know whether this [Israeli] state includes our lands and houses in the West Bank and East Jerusalem” – occupied by Israel in 1967.

“If the map is based on the 1967 borders and provides for the end of the Israeli occupation over Palestinian lands . . . then we will recognise Israel by whatever name it applies to itself in accordance with international law.”

Mr Rabbo’s comments could signify a significant shift by the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO), headed by Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas. In 1993, the PLO recognised Israel in exchange for Israeli recognition of the PLO as the sole representative of the Palestinian people.

The organisation has refused to recognise Israel as a Jewish state, fearing that this would compromise the rights of Israel’s 1.3 million Palestinian citizens and negate the right of return of Palestinian refugees laid down in UN general assembly resolution 194 of 1948.

Since Israel is unwilling to evacuate all the territory occupied in 1967, it is unlikely that the PLO will ever have to deliver on Mr Rabbo’s pledge.

Nevertheless, his words reveal just how desperate the Palestinian side is to resume negotiations, suspended after Israel refused to extend a partial construction curb in West Bank settlements.

Mr Abbas has rejected talks while Israel builds on land Palestinians demand for their state.

When he assumed the presidency in 2005, Mr Abbas declared that negotiations were the sole means to achieve Palestinian statehood and he has not developed a plan B if talks flag or fail.

Mr Rabbo, PLO secretary general, was responding to a call from the US to reply to a proposal put forward by Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu, who said the curb could continue if the Palestinians recognised Israel as a Jewish state.