Posted on 02/07/2010 10:12:48 AM PST by SJackson
Abbas disappointed with US stance
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said he was unhappy about the change in American policy toward settlement construction, in an interview published Sunday by Der Spiegel.
Abbas told the German magazine he will not change his positions and will not agree to resume negotiations unless Israel completely halts construction in West Bank settlements and recognizes the 1967 borders.
“These are not preconditions, but the first stages in realizing the Road Map and they should have been taken long ago. Unlike Israel, we stood up to our commitment – we recognized Israel’s right to exist and we are combating violent groups. It is now Israel’s turn,” Abbas said.
Abbas expressed his disappointment that as the president of the “strongest country in the world,” Barack Obama was not doing more to pressure Israel.
The PA president also revealed that he had an active engagement with former prime minister Ehud Olmert, saying “we didn’t reject his offer, he simply stepped down before we reached the final part of the negotiations. His successor, Tzipi Livni, did not become prime minister and that’s why we never reached an agreement.”
Abbas said there was no point for him to run for president again, since “the way to a diplomatic solution is blocked… but I urge the countries of the world: Don’t let the Palestinians descend to a state of utter desperation.”
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PA questions US on Mitchell's offer
CAIRO — The Palestinians have asked the Obama administration to clarify a US Mideast envoy George Mitchell's proposal to restart long-stalled peace talks with Israel indirectly by shuttling between the two sides, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said Saturday.
On Saturday, Abbas met with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to discuss the new US plan.
"We have asked the American side some questions ... and the answers will be discussed within a joint Arab framework and then we will announce our position," Abbas said.
The PA president said in a meeting with reporters Friday night that he is optimistic the United States can push the sides back to talks. First, though, he wants clear guidelines on the offer by Mitchell to conduct shuttle diplomacy.
Peace talks that began in November 2007 under former US president George W. Bush broke off in December 2008 during Israel's Operation Cast Lead against Hamas terrorists in the Gaza Strip.
"I'm optimistic that the American administration is capable of doing something to bring about a breakthrough in the peace process," Abbas said Friday.
He made it clear, however, that the Palestinians were not willing to offer more compromises to get the process moving again.
The Palestinians insist first on a full freeze of settlement building in the West Bank. They rejected a 10-month freeze imposed in late November as insufficient because it does not include east Jerusalem.
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu told a conference Wednesday that he had reason to believe the talks could resume in a matter of weeks, though he gave no details.
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Abbas is disappointed that the U.S. won’t demand Israel’s surrender before talks begin. Poor Mahmoud Abbas. I feel for him. Nobody will surrender to him.
The whole point of negotiations is compromise. You don’t demand all the concessions before a negotiation. That’s called an ultimatum, something the Palestinians are in no position to make.
Abbas told the German magazine he will not change his positions and will not agree to resume negotiations unless Israel completely halts construction in West Bank settlements and recognizes the 1967 borders.And when he said "pre-1967 borders" it was dutifully recorded as "1967 borders". :') Thanks SJackson.
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