The Palestine Liberation Organization is threatening to withdraw recognition of Israel, its most senior peace negotiator told an Arab newspaper on Thursday. Saeb Erekat, who recently took over as secretary-general of the PLO, is quoted by Al-Quds al-Arabi as saying that a decision on reversing recognition of Israel - which was enshrined in a 1993 exchange of letters between the respective Israeli and Palestinian leaders at the time, Yitzhak Rabin and Yasser Arafat - will be made after PA President Mahmoud Abbas completes a round of consultations with Arab leaders this month. The PLO had refused to recognize Israel since the Zionist state was founded in 1948.
(photo credit: The Jerusalem Post)