Palestinian Authority (PA) Prime Minister Salem Fayyad is tenacious pursuing efforts towards increased international pressure against Israel, turning to the European Union to step-up sanctions on goods originating in yishuvim as well as talking about possibly filing a legal suit against Israel in the International Court of Justice in The Hague.

He feels that just as a suit was filed against Israel in the international court surrounding the dispute over the separation fence, he may do the same regarding Israel’s insistence to continue construction “in West Bank communities”, a move that has resulted in the collapse in talks as well as representing an Israeli violation of the dictates of the international community. He expressed surprise that during a meeting earlier this week between Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and British Foreign Secretary David Miliband, Livni did not condemn recent buildings tenders for yishuvim, but instead spoke with the senior diplomat about ongoing British efforts to step-up the ban on goods from Jewish communities throughout Yehuda and Shomron.

The PA official is calling on OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) to assist in halting all construction in disputed areas. He stated the cessation of construction is the single most important contributory factor to advancing peace efforts between Israel and the PA.

When asked to comment on recent statements by Likud leader Binyamin Netanyahu who remains committed to prosperity in the PA, Fayyad explained “the dispute is not an economic one but a political one and therefore, it requires a political and not an economic solution.”

“As an economist by profession, I am always concerned with the economic factor but money and industrial parks will not bring about peace. We are not seeking to redefine the occupation but we are trying to eliminate it,” the PA prime minister concluded in his comments to the daily Haaretz.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)