Saeb Erekat, a member of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Executive Committee and head of the Palestinian Authority (PA) negotiating team, called on the US and European countries to recognize the “State of Palestine” within 1949 Armistice lines on Monday, with Jerusalem as its capital. 

Erekat’s statements were made alongside diplomats from China, France and Italy, and in response to Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s statements during the election campaigning not to establish a Palestinian state.

Erekat also demanded to convene an international peace conference with the participation of the member states of the UN Security Council, and for the PA, Israel and the Arab states to set a timetable for a phased withdrawal from Judea-Samaria under international supervision.

Erekat demanded as well for Israel to solve the PA’s various financial issues, as well as the “refugee” problem (demands for a so-called Palestinian Right of Return) and the release of imprisoned terrorists – as well as to evict all Jews from the many communities in Israel’s Area C of Judea-Samaria. 

Some 389,250 Jews now live in Judea-Samaria, up over 15,000 people since 2013. An additional 375,000 Jews are estimated to live in the areas of Jerusalem Erekat and the PA want designated for “Palestine’s” capital.