Palestinian options may risky if peace talks fail
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Abbas won't resign, PNA won't collapse
Allam Jarrar, a West Bank-based political analyst, however, said that Abbas would not leave office, which "means an abandon of responsibilities and escaping instead of looking for other serious political options that redeem the Palestinians from their pain.
"Such an action would have destructive consequences on the Palestinians because it would create a complete constitutional vacuum that would never end amid the current Palestinian internal rifts and the disputes between Fatah party and Islamic Hamas movement," Jarrar told Xinhua.
However, Mekhemer Abu Se'da, a political science professor of the Gaza-based Al-Azhar University said that Abbas' personal decision won't be clear until he gains the support of the AL, which would convene in Libya this weekend."
"It is probable that in this stage, the AL committee would support the Palestinian decision of halting the talks with Israel until Israel freezes settlement, but the U.S. would prefer to get back to the proximity talks which were stopped in late August and was rejected by Israel," he said.
Abu Se'da said he expected that the standstill in the peace process would remain for a long time due to Israel's stance, adding that the PNA may take some diplomatic moves. "Applying to the UN Security Council for the recognition of a Palestinian state might be one of these moves."
Applying to UNSC a major option
Palestinian officials have repeatedly threatened to apply to the United Nations Security Council to intervene in the settlement issue and draw the borders of their state on the territories occupied by Israel in 1967 instead of keeping the peace talks with Israel stalled.
Khalil Shahin, another West Bank-based political analyst, said that heading to the security council needs a different strategic plan.
"Apparently the Palestinian leadership is not ready yet for this plan after it suspended the talks with Israel and didn't decide to leave it," he added.
Hana Amira, a Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) official, said that the most significant option is to look for support that the Palestinians need in order to head to the security council to call for an international stance that obliges Israel to halt settlement activities and implement the international law.
Senior Hamas leader Sallah al-Bardaweel said that the PNA's stance "reinforces the intention towards achieving the reconciliation." He called on Fatah and Abbas "to stop completely the absurd negotiations and improve the internal Palestinian situation."
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