Palestinians say no to crumbs

The Palestinian Authority (PA) appears to be successfully countering the Israeli government's refusal to work towards a two-state solution to end the decades- long conflict. Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad's declaration to establish a Palestinian state within two years, with or without Israel's approval, is gaining international momentum. "We are being totally transparent about this. We are acting within international law and according to the Roadmap," Fayyad said at meeting with a few members of the media in his office in Ramallah last week. "We want to end the occupation and are preparing for statehood which is part of our duty as the authority representing the Palestinians," Fayyad told IPS. "If the occupation doesn't end within two years we believe we will have a very strong and compelling case before the international community. Palestinians are fed up with endless negotiations leading nowhere. "Eventually turning to the UN Security Council is an option we might consider as a last step," he added.