Embassy of the State of Palestine

Prime Minister Salam Fayyad briefed the Cabinet during its regular meeting this Tuesday in Ramallah on the letter of resignation, which he submitted to his Excellency President Mahmoud Abbas on Saturday 13 April 2013. The Prime Minister expressed his gratitude to the President for his confidence and appreciation of the government and its contributions in service of the national cause. In this regard, the Cabinet affirmed its commitment to continue shouldering its responsibilities during the caretaker period, which the President commissioned the government to assume. The Cabinet also stressed the importance of expediting the formation of the new government, wishing it success, and that it would build on the achievements that contribute to consolidating our people's steadfastness and materializing our people's ability to stay in their land and enable them to achieve their rights, foremost of which is their right to self-determination, and materializing our national sovereignty on the territory of the State of Palestine, with Jerusalem as its capital, and on the 1967 borders.

In a separate context, the Cabinet condemned the continued violations of the occupation army and settlers against our people and their properties in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, especially East Jerusalem, including diggings in Al-Biraq square adjacent to Al-Aqsa Mosque Compound, which resulted in damaging historic Islamic artifacts and findings in the area. This, in addition to uprooting hundreds of trees south of Hebron and east of Bethlehem as well as the detention of dozens of citizens across the West Bank and handing out demolition orders to homes in the northern Jordan valley in addition to incursions in southern Gaza. The Cabinet equally condemned the brutal assault by settlers against a citizen in Bethlehem. In this regard, the Cabinet held the government and army of the occupation fully responsible for the continued terrorist settler attacks against defenseless civilians.

In this context, the Cabinet called on the international community to assume its responsibilities to stop these dangerous violations, affirming that the credibility of ongoing political efforts are contingent upon ceasing these violations and enabling our people to achieve all their rights, as recognized by international law and relevant covenants and resolutions.

The Cabinet also welcomed the United Nations' call on Israel to respect international law and refrain from taking any steps that negatively affect the Palestinian population in the Gaza Strip, especially the closure of crossings, which increase the impact of the illegal and unjust siege on the lives and livelihoods of our people and increase their continued suffering because of this clear breach of international law. The Cabinet also called on the United Nations to compel Israel to lift the siege on the Gaza Strip, end the occupation, and implement relevant international resolutions.

In a related context, the Cabinet called on the international community, especially the High Contracting Parties to the Geneva Conventions, as well as international organizations to assume their legal, political and moral obligations in compelling Israel to respect and implement international law and covenants in relation to the rights of prisoners, including the need to immediately release prisoners on hunger strike, especially Samer Al-Issawi, who faces the imminent threat of death. The Cabinet also held the occupation government legally responsible for the lives and health of all prisoners, especially the sick and those on hunger strike.

On a different context, the Cabinet approved the agreement to encourage investment between Palestine and Jordan, which was signed between the Minister of National Economy and the Jordanian Minister of Trade and Industry on 4 October 2012. The agreement aims to expand and encourage economic cooperation between the two countries and to create appropriate investment circumstances, which would benefit both brotherly countries.

The Cabinet also approved the security memorandum of understanding between the State of Palestine and State of Qatar, which was signed between the Ministr of Interior and his counterpart in Al-Doha. The memorandum aims to consolidatecooperation between both countries in a way that contributes to combating all forms of crime as well as to increase the capabilities of security agencies in addition to the development of law enforcement agencies, including the exchange of expertise and the provision of necessary facilitation for education and training.

The Cabinet also approved the Statute of the Islamic Council for Civil Aviation and will deposit it with the relevant authorities in the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, as other Islamic countries that have ratified the statute havedone.

Based on the recommendation of the Minister of High Education, the Cabinet approved the membership of the Council of Scientific Research, which the President had approved forming in order to raise the standards of scientific research in the country.

The Council also forwarded the draft law of the general commission of revenues to the President in order to undertake the necessary legal steps and issue it according to the law. This step would achieve more efficiency in the general directorates and simplify procedures as well as prevent duplicity in collecting revenues.

Finally, the Cabinet approved the formation of a technical committee to study the status of teachers whose employment rankings and due raises had been suspended since 1997-1998 and who had been hired by occupation authorities with unduly low ranks.