PLO official demands EU revoke new rules restricting funding for terror organizations; Palestinian struggle isn’t terror

Headline: "Erekat demanded that the European Union revoke the new funding conditions and recognize Palestine"

"PLO Executive Committee Secretary [and Fatah Central committee member] Saeb Erekat demanded that the European Union (EU) reexamine the new funding conditions it has placed on civil society institutions and ensure equal, objective, and transparent funding opportunities for everyone.

In an official letter that he sent yesterday, Friday [Jan. 3, 2020], to EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell, Erekat said that the new funding clause regarding the implementation of restrictive measures on all parties that have signed agreements with the EU raises the concern of all parts of Palestinian society…

Erekat noted that many of the organizations that are included on the list of restrictive measures are Palestinian political parties, which means an attempt to disrupt the Palestinian political and civilian activity, and also that this comes in too general a framework and places a new burden on the Palestinian institutions…

Erekat rejected all of the attempts to criminalize the Palestinian national struggle and describe it as 'terror,' and reemphasized his request that the EU revoke the new funding conditions, support the two-state solution, and recognize the State of Palestine in the 1967 borders, whose capital is East Jerusalem."

Saeb Erekat also holds the position of PLO Chief Negotiator.