By: Tzvi Lev/TPS

Palestinian Authority officials announced yesterday that the PA would cut ties with the Middle East Quartet following the Quartet’s report criticizing the PA for encouraging terrorism against Israeli civilians.

Dr. Mohammad Shtayyeh, a member of the PA’s Central Committee, told the London-based pan-Arab daily newspaper Al-Hayat: “The Palestinian leadership will not cooperate with the Quartet.”

The Quartet is an international forum mandated by the 1991 Madrid Conference to mediate the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. It is made up of representatives from the United Nations, the European Union, the United States, and Russia.

The report, which was issued last Friday, condemns the PA for its lenient approach toward combating terrorism and, for the first time, describes Palestinian incitement against Israel as a significant obstacle to the two-state solution.

“Continuing violence, terrorist attacks against civilians, and incitement to violence are greatly exacerbating mistrust and are fundamentally incompatible with a peaceful resolution,” the report reads in part. “Regrettably, Palestinian leaders have not consistently and clearly condemned specific terrorist attacks.”

The report also criticizes the PA’s ruling party, Fatah, for encouraging violence and terrorism.

“Some members of Fatah have publicly supported attacks and their perpetrators, as well as encouraged violent confrontation. Palestinians who commit terrorist attacks are often glorified publicly as ‘heroic martyrs,’” the report states.

PA chief negotiator and PLO secretary-general Saeb Erekat blasted the report. “It does not meet our expectations as a nation living under a foreign colonial military occupation,” he said. “It equalizes the responsibilities between a people under occupation and a foreign military occupier.”

The report criticized Israel as well, describing construction in Israeli settlements as a key stumbling block to an agreement. “The continuing policy of settlement construction and expansion, designation of land for exclusive Israeli use, and denial of Palestinian development is steadily eroding the viability of the two-state solution,” the report reads in part.

Michael Zeff contributed to this report.