Jerusalem- Senior Palestinian Authority figure Nabil Shaath has called for a Palestinian campaign to have the state of Israel expelled from the United Nations, according to an Arabic language report from Ma'an News. Shaath, who once served for several days as acting PA Prime Minister, also called for efforts to disrupt the deepening of bilateral ties between Israel and other countries, such as the United States and the European Union.

 

The Prime Minister's Office expressed its intention to raise the issue of Palestinian rejectionism in the framework of the ongoing indirect-talks being brokered by United States Middle-East Envoy George Mitchell. The Israelis are concerned over what they term "Palestinian political behavior which is antithetical to moving forward in the peace process."

 

Mark Regev, spokesman for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, stated that the Palestinian Authority is trying to turn Israel into an international pariah. The Palestinians, he charged, were trying to recast Israel as "an illegitimate political entity."

 

Israel's Foreign Ministry reacted harshly when informed of the Ma'an report. In a statement to the 5 Towns Jewish Times, a Ministry spokesman said that "Those who will try to kick Israel will only break their own legs."

 

According to the Ministry, if Shaath's statements are officially adopted as policy by the Palestinian Authority, it will cause a breakdown of the proximity-talks. "The Palestinians should be very thoughtful before attempting anything of the sort," he warned.

 

Shaath's words come as part of an ongoing Palestinian campaign to isolate Israel diplomatically and economically. The Palestinian Authority is currently engaged in a partial boycott of Israeli goods, confiscating and destroying shipments of products produced in the settlements. Palestinian Premier Mahmoud Abbas was recently involved in a flurry of international diplomatic activity as he lobbied to prevent Israel's acceptance into the OECD, while pro-Palestinian activists in Europe and the United States are actively involved in efforts to boycott Israel.

 

Shaath was also quoted as saying that there was no difference between Fatah and Hamas.

 

The senior Palestinian official cited the "existence of [a] substantial convergence of the political agendas of Hamas and Fatah."

 

According to the Ma'an report, Shaath was careful to state that he ruled out the possibility of a return to armed struggle. However, Fatah's armed wing, the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, has claimed responsibility for some of the rocket fire emanating from the Gaza Strip and incitement by the Palestinian Authority has also continued unabated.

 

Palestinian incitement has led to frequent stabbing and rock-throwing incidents, including the murder of an Israeli soldier by a uniformed member of the Palestinian police in February. This propaganda also contributed to recent riots as Israeli-Arabs took to the streets, in part due to PA calls to defend the Al-Aqsa Mosque by PA officials and media outlets. According to a 2009 report by the Center for Near East Policy Research, Palestinian Prime Minister Salaam Fayyad currently pays the salaries of wanted terrorists hiding in the West Bank.

 

Fatah was reported to have reaffirmed its willingness to use terrorism at its 2009 conference in Bethlehem.

 

Israel Correspondent Samuel Sokol can be reached at Sam@5TJT.com or at Samuel Sokol5TJT@gmail.com. He can be followed on Twitter at Twitter.com/samuelsokol.