Al Jazeera’s leaks on the Israeli-Palestinian negotiations are a political campaign orchestrated by the emir of Qatar, said Yasser Abd Rabbo, a Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) executive committee member, at a press conference on Monday.
The leaks, released on Sunday, revealed that chief PLO negotiator Saeb Erakat pledged concessions to Israel in 2008 that include parts of East Jerusalem. Other concessions included compromises on refugees’ right of return.
"We thank the Emir of Qatar for giving Al Jazeera the green light to start this campaign, because it can't be the responsibility of [Al Jazeera Director General] Wadah Khanfar alone," Abd Rabbo said at the press conference, quoted by the Palestinian Ma’an News Agency. He added that Qatar should also reveal its relations with Iran and Israel.
The Palestinian chief accused the media network of not consulting with the Palestinian Authority and taking its views, and of tarnishing the reputation of President Mahmoud Abbas, which he connected to a similar Israeli campaign.
Abd Rabbo also accused Al Jazeera of falsifying the documents and adding untrue information about people involved, adding that the information was leaked by a junior member of the Palestinian negotiation team. He called for an independent investigation to study the authenticity of the documents.
Meanwhile, protesters in Ramallah burned an Al Jazeera logo on Monday to protest the leaks and the network's alleged attempt to harm the Palestinian leadership and to divide Arab states, an Israeli website reported.
