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Last update - 20:05 30/09/2009
Fatah to Abbas: no talks without settlement freeze
By The Associated Press
Tags: Israel news, peace 

The Palestinian party Fatah has declared to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who heads the movement, that he must not resume peace talks unless Israel freezes its settlement construction, a senior Fatah member said Wednesday.

Fatah's position could help Abbas stand up to U.S. pressure to return to the negotiating table despite Israel's failure to freeze construction in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

Last week, U.S. President Barack Obama told Abbas and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that negotiations must resume as quickly as possible, without preconditions. Obama admonished both leaders to stop wasting time.
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Israeli and Palestinian negotiators are holding separate follow-up meetings in Washington this week with Obama's Mideast envoy, George Mitchell, who hopes to bring the sides back to the negotiating table. The Israeli delegation met with Mitchell on Wednesday.

Abbas has repeatedly said he would not return to talks without a freeze in Israeli settlements, which is mandated by a U.S.-backed peace plan. Israel refuses to comply, offering at best to slow construction for a limited period.

The Obama administration was initially adamant about a halt to construction, but appears to have softened its stance after failing to make headway with the Israeli government on the issue.

Fatah's Central Committee, the movement's key decision-making body, met late Tuesday with Abbas to discuss his options following last week's trilateral meeting with Obama and Netanyahu.

Mohammed Dahlan, a committee member, said the panel told Abbas he must not budge.

"Settlements and negotiations are two parallel lines that will never meet," Dahlan told The Associated Press.

The settlements are being built in the West Bank and east Jerusalem, areas sought by the Palestinians for a future state. Nearly half a million Israelis have moved to these areas over the past four decades.

Palestinians argue that the continued construction is a major show of bad faith by Israel since the settlements gobble up more and more land. The settler population has increased by tens of thousands since the start of peace talks in 1993. Netanyahu says some construction must be allowed to accommodate what he calls natural growth in the settler population.

Dahlan said the 23-member committee was also unanimous in its demand that the agenda of the negotiations be defined ahead of time.

Netanyahu's predecessor, Ehud Olmert, held a series of talks with Abbas last year and agreed to tackle all so-called core issues, including a possible partition of Jerusalem. Netanyahu says Jerusalem is off-limits and says he is not bound by any promises made by Olmert.

Dahlan said he believes the Obama administration is putting pressure on the Palestinians since they are the weakest party in the process.

There is systematic backtracking by President Obama, Dahlan said. There is a changing of the foundations and reference points of the negotiations, and therefore I don't expect a quick return to negotiations.

Related articles:
  • 'Obama told Netanyahu, Abbas: We all must take risks for peace'
  • Israel, Palestinians trade blame for stalled peace talks
  • Source: Obama strongly expressed his impatience to Netanyahu and Abbas
  • Israel should learn from U.S. how to pace diplomacy
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      1.   But in principle Abbas is right 19:21  |  Krzysztof 30/09/09
      2.   Arab settlement freeze must come first 19:25  |  Chaim Ben Kahan 30/09/09
      3.   One Nation 19:40  |  Vladek 30/09/09
      4.   It worries me what Olmert promised every rat and mouse! 20:30  |  Alan SA 30/09/09
      5.   Talks and Freeze 20:36  |  Sushi 30/09/09
      6.   "Palestinian party Fatah"? They call themselves "resistence", i.e 20:47  |  John J. Gilbert, Esq 30/09/09
      7.   If Obama was fair dinkum about peace in the Middle East... 21:00  |  Maureen Ann 30/09/09
      8.   Israel should make some counterdemands 21:05  |  bar kochma 30/09/09
      9.   Fatah to Abbas 21:12  |  flora 30/09/09
      10.   to #2 21:28  |  Tony Silver 30/09/09
      11.   No freeze! 21:47  |  Apa 30/09/09
      12.   #2 disgruntled mr esq. 22:06  |  American in NY 30/09/09
      13.   I`ll say in (once) again....:) 22:28  |  Swiss (Dino) 30/09/09
      14.   Death of zionism 22:29  |  Bazmann 30/09/09
      15.   FATAH AGREES TO TALKS WITHOUT PRECONDITIONS..... 22:49  |  Ian 30/09/09
      16.   Folks, here`s how you start the peace process 23:05  |  Mark 30/09/09
      17.   We Have Nothing To Discuss With The Arab Terrorists Anyway 23:23  |  Yishai Kohen 30/09/09
      18.   This is typical 23:36  |  H50 30/09/09
      19.   Israel has no Partner for peace 00:08  |  Iain 01/10/09
      20.   #7 00:49  |  Dan 01/10/09
      21.   #5 bar kochma thinks it`s a "precondition" 01:11  |  Johnboy 01/10/09
      22.   US-Israeli Relations 01:22  |  Steve 01/10/09
      23.   I think we have seen this excuse before... 01:49  |  Apa 01/10/09
      24.   Zion not dead, Bazmann 03:37  |  Jasper 01/10/09
      25.   Peace process is dead 04:31  |  C2 01/10/09
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