RAMALLAH/GAZA, June 12 (Xinhua) -- The Palestinians condemned on Wednesday the declaration of some Arab states that they will participate in the U.S.-sponsored economic workshop scheduled to be held in Bahrain on June 25.
In a press statement, the Palestinian Authority government warned the joining Arab states of "getting involved with the United States in the plan that aims at liquidating the Palestinian cause."
The government expressed regret that Egypt and Jordan will join the economic workshop that will discuss the economic aspects of the peace plan that the United States wants to declare, better known as the "Deal of the Century."
Ibrahim Melhem, spokesman of the government, said the government "regrets the declaration of Cairo and Amman to participate in the American workshop and calls on them and all other brotherly and friendly countries to boycott the workshop."
Melhem renewed the opposition of the Palestinians to the workshop, adding that the United States is trying throughout this workshop to create solutions that neglect the national legitimate rights of the Palestinian people.
He praised Lebanon's position which refused to join the workshop. Lebanon said it will not join because the Palestinians are boycotting it.
Meanwhile, Azzam el-Ahmad, member of Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Executive Committee, told Voice of Palestine Radio that the participation of some Arab states in the workshop "is not justified."
"The workshop in Bahrain is useless and will not lead to any political outcomes because in case the workshop is held, we will work on toppling its outcomes," said el-Ahmad. "I hope the participation of Jordan, Egypt and Morocco will be symbolic without deep involvement in it."
Saeb Erekat, secretary general of the PLO executive committee, said in a press statement that the Palestinians are completely rejecting to join the workshop, adding that "Bahrain's workshop will be a big disappointment to the U.S. officials."
"The only solution to the Palestinian cause is to end the occupation and establish an independent Palestinian state on 1967 border with East Jerusalem as its capital, and to resolve all the final status issues," said Erekat.
Majed al-Fityani, secretary general of the Revolutionary Council of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah Party, told a news conference that the United States is a clear partner with the Israeli occupation.
"All what the United States is interested in is keeping the Israeli occupation and its control of the Palestinian territories under various names," said al-Fityani, adding "any prosperity under the occupation is rejected."
He called on the Arab states who announced to participate in the American workshop "to stop because they are giving the American administration the green light to liquidate the Palestinian cause and its political program."
Fityani called on Bahrain to regret its decision to host the American workshop and called on the Arab states to boycott the workshop "to avoid turning the workshop into a security network to keep the occupation lasting for a long time."
In Gaza, Islamic Hamas movement's spokesman Fawzi Barhoum said in an emailed press statement that the movement condemns the Arab states' declaration to join the workshop in Bahrain.
"The Arab states' position contradicts with the Palestinian position which rejects the workshop and the participation in it because it is a major step towards implementing the Deal of the Century that aims at ending the Palestinian cause," he said.
Political ties between the Palestinian Authority and the U.S. administration have been severed after U.S. President Donald Trump declared Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and moved the embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem last year.
