'US trying to pass M-E plan via Arab-Israeli normalisations'

Ramallah, Sep 15
Palestinian Foreign Affairs Minister Riyad al-Maliki has accused the US of trying to pass its Middle East peace plan through the Arab-Israel normalisations.

In a statement on Monday, the Minister said that "Washington is trying to pass its Mideast peace deal throughout (Israeli) normalization relations with Arab countries", reports Xinhua news agency.

"The American administration is exploiting the normalization agreements between Israel and the Arab countries to win extremists' votes at the expense of the Palestinian cause," al-Maliki added.

He affirmed that the Palestinian position is "unchangeable and strict, which totally rejects normalization with Israel before the end of the Israeli military occupation of the Palestinian territories".

Al-Maliki's remarks came after Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on September 11 announced the establishment of diplomatic relations between Bahrain and Israel.

Bahrain is scheduled to sign its normalization agreement with Israel on Tuesday at a ceremony in the White House, during which a similar deal between the UAE and Israel will also be inked.

Bahrain is the second Gulf Arab state that has announced normalization with Israel in less than a month after the UAE did so on August 13.

Egypt and Jordan signed their peace treaties with Israel in 1979 and 1994, respectively.