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Last update - 15:18 17/02/2009
Abbas: Talks will be useless settlement building doesn't stop
By DPA
Tags: Mahmoud Abbas, Israel News 

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Monday strongly criticized an Israeli decision to seize more Palestinian land in the West Bank for settlement expansion. He said that "unless settlements are brought to a halt, then talks [with Israel] will be meaningless and useless."

Abbas also stressed that the next Israeli government has to accept the two-state solution and other international agreements on the Middle East conflict as a prelude to resuming negotiations.

"We cannot start from point zero once again," stressed Abbas during a press conference with visiting Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
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As reported in Haaretz on Monday, Israel plans to seize 1.7 million square meters of Palestinian land near Bethlehem to expand the settlement of Efrat.

Abbas said a total halt to settlement activities, removing the military checkpoints in the West Bank and a return of the Israeli forces to the pre-September 28, 2000 lines - as stated in the road map peace plan - should precede a resumption of peace talks with Israel.

He expressed hope that the upcoming peace conference, scheduled to be held in Moscow in the first half of this year, "will be an important step to achieve peace in the Middle East."

Abbas also said the internal Palestinian reconciliation dialogue will start in Cairo on Sunday with a goal to "set up a government that will not bring a blockade upon us and hold presidential and legislative elections as soon as possible."
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  1.   Abbas 03:40  |  John 17/02/09
  2.   AND WHAT DOES ABBASS GIVE IN RETURN FOR ALL THAT??? 06:02  |  dav zee 17/02/09
  3.   Stopping the Settlements 07:18  |  John Q. Public 17/02/09
  4.   Transfer or emigration 08:42  |  Jean Van Daem 17/02/09
  5.   peace talk 08:45  |  no name 17/02/09
  6.   abbas is correct! talks are useless 08:55  |  vhardman 17/02/09
  7.   Efrat Expansion? 09:17  |  Dany Hadary 17/02/09
  8.   No such thing as Palestinian land! Jordan is Palestine! 10:02  |  Historian 17/02/09
  9.   abbas is correct! talks are useless 10:13  |  Natallie Durson 17/02/09
  10.   Abbas: Talks Useless if Jews Keep On Breeding 10:40  |  Baruch Gold 17/02/09
  11.   The personality of Israel is getting obvious! 11:58  |  Mikael 17/02/09
  12.   Natallie #4 12:05  |  Esther 17/02/09
  13.   isn´t he correct? 12:11  |  Okan 17/02/09
  14.   Sadly, Abbas has every reason to make the demand 12:24  |  Meir Gush Etzion 17/02/09
  15.   # 8 Meir it`s okay Pal. 12:49  |  Petra 17/02/09
  16.   More blather 13:46  |  Jim USA 17/02/09
  17.   Abbas must be told that he can`t deliver. 14:09  |  Akram Zekaria 17/02/09
  18.   Israeli violates its road map 14:56  |  Amos 17/02/09
  19.   Israel Does What It Wants 15:35  |  Yaakov Sullivan 17/02/09
  20.   Unit Conversion Or How To Manipulate The Mathematically Challenge 15:53  |  Jeff Northridge 17/02/09
  21.   historian... 15:56  |  Roula Nikolopoulou 17/02/09
  22.   Settlement building 16:18  |  Sanity 17/02/09
  23.   Abbas is delivering 16:54  |  Dave Duncan 17/02/09
  24.   #16 Jim in the USA Which Israeli high court are you referring 19:57  |  Labhras 17/02/09
  25.   was there peace before the settlements were built? 20:11  |  Tony 17/02/09
  26.   Is this guy as slow a learner as he seems? 00:15  |  Mark Lincoln 18/02/09
  27.   Israel`s Land Piracy must not only stop, but be liquidated 00:44  |  Ivar 18/02/09
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