70 international delegations on Sunday participated in the Paris Summit to discuss the suspended negotiations and the two-state solution. While Palestinians welcomed the summit, Israelis refused the invitation saying it was rigged and loaded against Israel.

Both parties were invited to attend but not participate in the summit itself.

PLO Secretary General, Dr. Saeb Erekat in a statement welcomed the Statement by the Paris Peace Conference, which stressed the need to end the Israeli occupation that began in 1967 as per international law and international legitimacy resolutions; including the recent Security Council Resolution 2334.

“We appreciate the participation of each and every country and their commitment to the right of our people to establish our independent sovereign state to live side-by-side in peace and security alongside Israel,” Erekat said. “They have again created a momentum in rejection to the Israeli occupation and its settlement enterprise on the land of Palestine. It’s a message to Israel, the occupying power, to abide by international law and international humanitarian law and to end its military occupation of Palestine towards the achievement of peace and stability in the region and the world. It is time to stop dealing with Israel as a country above the law and to hold it accountable for its systematic violations of international law and the rights of our people.”

Erekat also called upon France to immediately recognize the State of Palestine on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital, and called upon all participating countries in today’s conference, including European countries and the United States of America, which all have continuously supported the importance of the two-state solution as the only viable solution, to recognize Palestine in line with their recognition of Israel and their strong position to preserve the two-state solution.

To his part,French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault, in his opening remarks to top envoys at the conference said “We are here to reiterate strongly that the two-state solution is the only one possible.

Source :PNN