Palestinian Prime Minister, Muhammad Shtayyeh, discussed with the European Envoy for the Middle East Peace Process Sven Koopmans the latest political developments. Shtayyeh stressed during the meeting the Palestinian leadership’s openness to a serious path that would fill the current political vacuum, calling for a European role to revive the political process under the umbrella of the International Quartet in a manner that meets justice for the Palestinian people. The Palestinian PM called on the European envoy to exercise pressure on Israel to retract its deductions from Palestinian tax funds, under the pretext of allocations for families of martyrs and prisoners, which puts the government in a difficult financial situation, especially in light of the sharp decline in international aid. Shtayyeh stressed that holding elections is urgent and vital to preserve the national project and the Palestinian institution, calling for pressure on the new Israeli government to abide by the signed agreements, including allowing the elections to be held in Jerusalem. For further details, click here