Secretary of the Palestine Liberation Organization Executive Committee Saeb Erekat has demanded the UK recognize the Palestinian state. During a speech at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) in London, he hailed the UK’s support to Palestine through its backing of the UN Palestinian refugee agency (UNRWA) and Palestinian Authority. He wondered why Britain does not recognize the Palestinian state, asking: “If it is a matter of international law then why did the UK object over the publishing of the blacklist of firms operating in Israeli settlements,” He said that the solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict must be based on the principle of “land for peace” and not money for peace, hinting at the Manama conference scheduled next week. Erekat had embarked on Thursday on a five-day visit to Britain, where he met Secretary of State for the Middle East and North Africa Andrew Morrison, Deputy National Security Adviser Christian Turner and UK Political Director Richard Moore, in addition to other officials. They underscored commitment to the two-state solution and support to Palestine. Erekat is scheduled to meet with opposition members from the Labor Party, namely party leader Jeremy Corbyn, and UK Shadow Foreign Secretary Emily Thornberry. At the House of Commons, he stressed that it is time to recognize the state of Palestine with East Jerusalem as its capital as a fair solution for the Arab-Israeli conflict, reiterating rejection of the upcoming economic workshop in Manama. The Bahrain conference is aimed at gaining support for a Palestinian economic plan. It serves as precursor to the yet undisclosed US peace initiative, dubbed the “deal of the century.” Palestinian business representatives are expected to attend the event in Manama on June 25-26, but not Palestinian government officials, who have boycotted a peace initiative led by White House senior adviser Jared Kushner.