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Last update - 23:11 13/12/2008
Palestinians: Israel asked to annex 6.8% of West Bank
By News Agencies
Tags: united nations, quartet 

Israel proposed to annex 6.8 percent of the West Bank and take in 5,000 Palestinian refugees, the chief Palestinian negotiator said Friday, speaking for the first time in detail about the yearlong U.S.-backed negotiations that failed to produce an agreement.

Israel never revealed its position on the future of Jerusalem, the most contentious issue in the negotiations, said negotiator Ahmed Qureia.

His comments appeared aimed, in part, at providing a record of the Israeli position ahead of leadership changes in Israel and the United States. Israel's elections are scheduled for February 10, and polls suggest Likud chairman Benjamin Netanyahu is poised to become Israel's next prime minister.
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Netanyahu opposes large-scale territorial concessions and has said he would not continue the negotiations in their current format. He has said he would try to focus on improving the Palestinian economy instead.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas also faces a leadership challenge from his Hamas rivals, who rule Gaza and say Abbas' term in office ends in January.

The office of outgoing Prime Minister Ehud Olmert declined comment Friday on the specifics provided by Qureia. However, Olmert aides noted recent Olmert speeches, in which he said Israel would have to withdraw from much of the land it occupied in the 1967 Mideast War, including the West Bank and parts of Jerusalem.

Qureia told Palestinian reporters on Friday that Israel wants to keep four blocs of Jewish settlements - Ariel, Ma'aleh Adumim, Givat Ze'ev and Efrat-Gush Etzion.

He said Israel initially asked to annex 7.3 percent of the West Bank, then reduced the demand to 6.8 percent. He said Israel presented maps for both offers.

"Israel offered to give some of its own territory as compensation for the annexed areas, but not an equal trade in size and quality," Qureia said.

The negotiator said the Palestinians did not accept the Israeli offer, arguing that some of the areas Israel wants to annex would be vital to the creation of a Palestinian state.

Qureia has said in the past the Palestinians are willing to consider an annexation of some settlements and a land swap, but on a much smaller scale.

He said the Palestinians repeatedly raised their demand for a division of
Jerusalem, but that Israel's chief negotiator, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, never presented an Israeli position.

Olmert has said Israel would have to give up some Arab neighborhoods of Jerusalem. However, the ultra-Orthodox Jewish Shas Party, a member of Olmert's coalition, has threatened to quit if Jerusalem is discussed in the negotiations.

Olmert will step down as prime minister after a successor is selected. He has already been replaced by Livni as head and the ruling Kadima party and its next candidate for prime minister.

Qureia said Olmert's offer of 5,000 refugees over five years was rejected, but noted that the Palestinians don't seek the return of all refugees and their descendants, a group of several million.

"To say that not a single refugee would be allowed back or that all the refugees should be allowed back is not a solution," he said. "We should reach a mutual position on this issue."

Israel has adamantly refused to accept large numbers of Palestinians, saying mass repatriation would destroy the Jewish character of the state.

The negotiations were launched a year ago, at a U.S.-hosted Mideast conference in Annapolis, Maryland.

Since then, Qureia and Livni have met repeatedly, in parallel to talks between Olmert and Abbas. Qureia said he last spoke to Livni by phone a month ago.

Olmert paid a farewell visit to outgoing U.S. President George W. Bush in late November, and Abbas is to meet with Bush at the White House next week.

Qureia said he hopes Barack Obama will make solving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict a priority when he takes over as U.S. president in January. "We hope that we will not have to wait for intensive U.S. involvement," he said.

The Palestinian negotiator said it's possible Netanyahu, if elected, will seek to erase the last year of negotiations. "There is a possibility that if Netanyahu wins, he will begin things from the point of zero," Qureia said, adding that while each side kept notes during the negotiations, there is no joint written record.

Qureia noted that during a term as prime minister in the 1990s, Netanyahu signed two interim agreements with the Palestinians, despite his hard-line positions.

"Therefore, a person in the position of responsibility could change contrary to his position in the opposition," Qureia said. "At the end of the day, we'll deal with anyone who wins the election."

Quartet to discuss Mideast peace at UN headquarters Monday

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said earlier Friday that the diplomatic group on the Middle East peace process, or quartet, will meet Monday at UN headquarters.

"It is a year which I hope will bear fruit in the Middle East," Ban said in a conference in Geneva announcing the quartet meeting in New York.

"Somewhat below the radar, Israelis and Palestinians have been engaged in direct, intensive negotiations, and have created trust and a framework where none existed only two years ago," he said.

"They are setting the stage for peace and are determined to continue," he added. "It is up to the international community to help them realize that long-elusive dream."

Ban said he has invited several Arab governments to take part in the quartet discussions along with the four principals: the United Nations, the European Union, the United States and Russia.

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and high-ranking EU officials will attend the meeting under Ban's leadership.

The quartet has called for the establishment of a Palestinian state living in peace alongside Israel. Various security and political steps have to be carried out before the two-state solution is achieved under what is known as a road map to end the Israeli- Palestinian conflict.

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      1.   No peace ever with constant US vetos... 21:36  |  BBSNews 12/12/08
      2.   Fair`s fair 22:16  |  Angel 12/12/08
      3.   Israeli greed for land continues unabated. 22:20  |  Maki 12/12/08
      4.   Israel can annex 5% of the West Bank NOTHING MORE!!!! 22:25  |  MOE 12/12/08
      5.   Israeli Arabs make more kids. 22:28  |  ted heath 12/12/08
      6.   no bbs as long as israel is in the middle east arabs will never 22:29  |  terrornator 12/12/08
      7.   6.8% but Qurei didn`t say what proposed instead 22:33  |  Chris 12/12/08
      8.   Annexation is meaningless the Jewish land has been freed, 22:37  |  e.m.Jordan is Palest 12/12/08
      9.   Annexation is meaningless the Jewish land has been freed, 22:37  |  e.m.Jordan is Palest 12/12/08
      10.   Vetos 22:40  |  Bas 12/12/08
      11.   BBS You Are On Drugs - EVer Hear of Hamas? 22:45  |  GZLives 12/12/08
      12.   BBS 23:06  |  ANUAR AL SADAT 12/12/08
      13.   1967 23:10  |  mel 12/12/08
      14.   6.8 is very funny... 23:13  |  Edithann 12/12/08
      15.   #6 then have fun in a country with an arab majority 23:19  |  moshe 12/12/08
      16.   Moe # 4 23:22  |  Philippe 12/12/08
      17.   the two parties will have to do much better in order to move - 23:23  |  ivo 12/12/08
      18.   BBSNews # 1 What In The World Are You Talking About? 23:32  |  Jeff Northridge 12/12/08
      19.   #3 To Maki 23:40  |  Urani Diot 12/12/08
      20.   Some last ditch attempts 23:42  |  Mark Lincoln 12/12/08
      21.   #5 23:49  |  jo 12/12/08
      22.   Israel should annex all the W.Bank and Gaza. One state for both! 00:06  |  Hamdi 13/12/08
      23.   BSNews blames everyone but terrorists for terrorism 00:07  |  SDHD 13/12/08
      24.   Maki and "greed" 00:08  |  SDHD 13/12/08
      25.   MOE and how beggars can be choosey 00:10  |  SDHD 13/12/08
      26.   Keep all the territories! 00:15  |  Kagan 13/12/08
      27.   #3 Maki 00:34  |  Gershon Reed 13/12/08
      28.   #6 00:35  |  BMS 13/12/08
      29.   #1 BS 00:54  |  Moshe 13/12/08
      30.   Slow, but better than nothing 00:54  |  Magnus K. 13/12/08
      31.   #7 Vetos 00:58  |  Space 13/12/08
      32.   #4 MOE 00:58  |  Moshe 13/12/08
      33.   Israeli Land Greed 01:07  |  John 13/12/08
      34.   Connection between gaza strip & w.b. 01:19  |  andi 13/12/08
      35.   Hamdi and land mass 01:24  |  SDHD 13/12/08
      36.   John and land greed 02:09  |  SDHD 13/12/08
      37.   It is Israel`s Land 02:11  |  Brod 13/12/08
      38.   Hamdi # 22 Isn`t 6,000 Sq. Km. Enough For You? 03:02  |  Jeff Northridge 13/12/08
      39.   Fair and just solution 03:07  |  Great White North 13/12/08
      40.   #37 Brod: Annex ALL = Jewish minority 03:31  |  Look into the Future 13/12/08
      41.   Hamdi, I understand your position - BUT 04:06  |  Mark Lincoln 13/12/08
      42.   39, Great White fair for whom? 04:10  |  Barbie 13/12/08
      43.   Look into the Future - vs Brod 04:13  |  Mark Lincoln 13/12/08
      44.   bbs sounds like assad qurei and nazirallah 05:13  |  Arie 13/12/08
      45.   Do the swap 05:14  |  Arie 13/12/08
      46.   #5 Haredi Women Make More Babies than Palestinians 05:28  |  Monitor 13/12/08
      47.   Annexing a problem 05:52  |  Jasper 13/12/08
      48.   How About the Arabs Get 6.8% of Israel 09:07  |  Baruch Gold 13/12/08
      49.   Baruch Gold #48 must have failed geography 09:26  |  ELIAS KHOURY 13/12/08
      50.   #49 how does elias get his legal acumen 09:36  |  victor hardman 13/12/08
      51.   JOHN (#33) Yes, Yes after we stole, some thieves we are! 10:07  |  Gil 13/12/08
      52.   SDHD (#35) You forgot to add 10:34  |  Gil 13/12/08
      53.   FATAH OPTION IS CONDI-OLMERT FICTION & DOESN`T EXIST IN REALITY 10:42  |  G Marcus 13/12/08
      54.   Jeff Northridge 10:42  |  Palestinian Brit 13/12/08
      55.   Please explain... 12:03  |  Esther 13/12/08
      56.   JOHN (#33) About Greed and Stealing 12:04  |  Gil 13/12/08
      57.   incompetent, corrupt PA 12:08  |  Raymond Deane 13/12/08
      58.   #47 Jasper the simple 12:33  |  Boycott 13/12/08
      59.   Why Not some UN,. EU, US or RUSSIANS have Palestinians 12:38  |  Dolly 13/12/08
      60.   Addendum for #55 12:53  |  Esther 13/12/08
      61.   #60 no, Esther,... 14:05  |  Eugene 13/12/08
      62.   To Gil @ 56 - Re JOHN the anti-Jew Brit..... 14:09  |  Dagma 13/12/08
      63.   Well, Eugene #61 14:34  |  Esther 13/12/08
      64.   Whatever Olmert says can be taken with a pinch of salt 14:52  |  The Threadmill 13/12/08
      65.   #5 Ted Heath 14:59  |  Poco Loco 13/12/08
      66.   To Esther # 63 - You Esther need not speak for Israelis 14:59  |  Natasha 13/12/08
      67.   Esther @ 63 - DUBAI ? 15:10  |  Jeremy 13/12/08
      68.   Natasha #66 15:20  |  Esther 13/12/08
      69.   What ingrates, turning down all that prime Negev Desert 15:34  |  Clickfool 13/12/08
      70.   such a deal!!! Palestine used to be 100% Palestinian 15:38  |  history 13/12/08
      71.   Poco Loco and creative zionist math 15:44  |  get a clue 13/12/08
      72.   For Jeff Northridge # 38 15:51  |  Clickfool 13/12/08
      73.   answer to squatting jews on stolen land: remove IDF protection 15:52  |  end of problem 13/12/08
      74.   USA needs to support Saudi Plan, for sake of world peace 15:56  |  Ivar 13/12/08
      75.   22% 16:48  |  indigenous 13/12/08
      76.   Clickfool # 68 You`re Assuming That It Was Stolen 17:06  |  Jeff Northridge 13/12/08
      77.   israel has every right 17:15  |  wh 13/12/08
      78.   OK, Jeremy #67,...I believe you, but...... 17:25  |  Esther 13/12/08
      79.   Clickfool (#75) And the issue of Theft 17:31  |  Gil 13/12/08
      80.   #63 Esther is ready to sell... 17:41  |  Eugene 13/12/08
      81.   Jeff #76...just beginning at the end of the long tirade... 17:51  |  Esther 13/12/08
      82.   #63 Some Geography lessons for Esther 17:56  |  Eugene 13/12/08
      83.   Shavuah Tov - The entire WB is Israeli territory!!! 17:59  |  Dr Eric 13/12/08
      84.   Anything more than 50% of WB is very generous!! 18:02  |  Dr Eric 13/12/08
      85.   Israel must retain all major Jewish towns 18:06  |  Dr Eric 13/12/08
      86.   The entirety of the Land of Israel belongs exclusively to the... 18:22  |  Jean Van Daem 13/12/08
      87.   Eugene? fast railroad will fix all your problems 18:32  |  wasn`t that easy? 13/12/08
      88.   For Jeff Northridge # 76 18:34  |  Clickfool 13/12/08
      89.   Go For It 18:38  |  Zach 13/12/08
      90.   Banking on it 18:45  |  Sean 13/12/08
      91.   Annexation 19:03  |  Gilbert 13/12/08
      92.   US EU UN and ruski will impose a peace plan 19:20  |  zio time not on side 13/12/08
      93.   Annexing 6.8% of West Bank to Palestinians needs Law Reform 19:25  |  Josephus 13/12/08
      94.   arab/muslim land grab 19:44  |  Great White North 13/12/08
      95.   For Gil # 79 19:51  |  Clickfool 13/12/08
      96.   clickfool assumes the worst of israel 20:04  |  brighton rock 13/12/08
      97.   terror. GZLives etc etc Still Against Equitable Policy 20:56  |  Gray 13/12/08
      98.   Jew-HATERS DECEIVE for Expansionist Islam. Already ARAB Pal State 20:59  |  Linda Rivera 13/12/08
      99.   Arabs to blame for Israeli settlements 21:03  |  Lee 13/12/08
      100.   Esther # 81 The House Of Contention 21:31  |  Jeff Northridge 13/12/08
      101.   Brighton Rock - you`ve got it wrong 22:57  |  Palestinian Brit 13/12/08
      102.   Linda in the US 23:01  |  Palestinian Brit 13/12/08
      103.   To history @ 70 - who needs a good History Lesson 23:30  |  Honesty 13/12/08
      104.   palestinian brit 23:36  |  brighton rock 13/12/08
      105.   Dishonesty... 23:51  |  Palestinian Brit 13/12/08
      106.   Judea & Samaria 00:25  |  Beit David 14/12/08
      107.   Annex 6.8% 02:23  |  Bob 14/12/08
      108.   #88 CF 02:34  |  Moshe 14/12/08
      109.   Palestinian Brit`s Israeli Arabs 02:39  |  SDHD 14/12/08
      110.   Clickfool Green Line was never meant to be border 02:56  |  Free Gilad Shalit 14/12/08
      111.   We`re not asking "Palestinians" for anything. This is OUR land! 03:06  |  Chaim 14/12/08
      112.   Reality bites Chaim... 04:33  |  BBSNews 14/12/08
      113.   All israeli settlements and structures must be voided... 05:26  |  Dutch 14/12/08
      114.   One state solution 05:59  |  James Gardener 14/12/08
      115.   Just say no to the Israelis.... 05:59  |  Dutch 14/12/08
      116.   # 36 to sdhd re: "land greed" (3rd try) 08:29  |  eric 14/12/08
      117.   Eric -- on how to say the most ridiculous things 09:34  |  SDHD 14/12/08
      118.   The West Bank is not Palestine: Gaza is not Palestine 11:35  |  Yasser Arafat 14/12/08
      119.   Esther even if there`s peace 11:36  |  x-ray 14/12/08
      120.   PalBrit but you come from Wales 11:40  |  x-ray 14/12/08
      121.   #60 Peter - bbs` LEGAL knowledge is a JOKE 13:02  |  CK Tan 14/12/08
      122.   Palestinians value territory over peace - and rejected the deal! 18:09  |  Dov Hatzafon 14/12/08
      123.   #65 Not so Poco Loco ,BUT! Very Wise and True What you Said!! 00:51  |  Ross 15/12/08
      124.   #76 All nonsense arguments, Jeff. 07:55  |  Johnboy 16/12/08
      125.   I do so love the way Hasbarah works 08:04  |  Johnboy 16/12/08
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