Abbas aide: Israel isn't serious about peace

Sanctions against the Palestinian Authority, which the Israeli government is said to be considering, would be a clear violation of international conventions and initiatives, a political adviser to President Mahmoud Abbas said Tuesday. Nimir Hammad says that as Israel is reported to be considering sanctions because Palestine won membership in UNESCO on Monday, that means Israel is not taking the peace process seriously. The international community, namely the US, must realize that establishment of a Palestinian state serves US interests as much as it serves Palestinian interests, he said. Stability in the region depends on the establishment of a Palestinian state. Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will convene a meeting with his eight senior ministers on Tuesday to discuss the possibility of imposing sanctions on the PA, Israel's Haaretz newspaper said. According to a senior official cited in the report, it is still unclear whether a decision will be reached on Tuesday, but various aimed at taking punitive measures against the Palestinians are expected. Hammad said the Israeli government has pretended to be unaware of the ongoing changes in the Arab world after the Arab Spring which led to the people's control of decision-making in three countries so far. “They seem to be unaware that Israel will not be able to count on the US exerting pressure on one Arab leader or another to make their decisions contingent on Israel’s wishes,” Hammad said. Hammad said Palestine's admission in UNESCO was a major accomplishment. It is an important step indicating that the majority of the world’s countries do not yield to enormous US pressure both politically and financially, he said. However, added Hammad, the fact that France voted in favor of Palestine’s membership to UNESCO does not necessarily mean France will vote in favor of the Palestinian statehood bid in the UN Security Council. UNESCO decided on Monday to give Palestine full membership. It is the first UN agency Palestine has joined as a full member since President Abbas applied for full membership of the United Nations on Sept. 23.