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Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak (R) with PA President Mahmoud Abbas in Cairo Saturday. (AP)
Last update - 07:41 02/12/2007
Report: Abbas reiterates refusal to recognize Israel as 'Jewish state'
By The Associated Press
Tags: Mahmoud Abbas, Hamas 

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas reiterated his refusal on Saturday to recognize Israel as a Jewish state, Israel Radio reported.

"Historically, there are two states - Israel and Palestinian. Israel has Jews and other people, and this we are ready to recognize, but nothing else," the radio quoted Abbas as saying shortly after he landed in Saudi Arabia after brief stops in Egypt and Jordan.

The Palestinians recognition of Israel as a Jewish state, which Jerusalem demands, is meant to bolster Israel's position that rejects the return of Palestinian refugees to areas inside the Green Line - the border before the 1967 Six-Day War.
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Earlier on Saturday, after meeting with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in Cairo, Abbas said that there will be meetings in Moscow and Paris to follow up on this week's Mideast peace conference in Annapolis, Maryland.

He also said that a special negotiating team, led by former Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia, will handle peace talks with Israelis. the negotiations are due to launch December 12.

"There was this myth that there were talks or a deal in the U.S.-brokered Mideast summit in Annapolis," Abbas said. "The purpose of Annapolis meeting was to launch talks without going into details."

There will be two stations after Annapolis: one in Paris and the second in Moscow where there will be another conference to review what the negotiations have achieved, he added, without elaborating.

Abbas did not say whether the Moscow meeting would focus on the Syrian-Israeli track, as has been widely speculated.

In addition to the negotiating team, Abbas said that a supreme committee of all Palestinian leadership will be formed to follow up negotiations. He didn't give further details on which factions will be represented in the panel.

Hamas and other allied militant groups have strongly opposed the resumption of peace talks with Israel, maintaining that Abbas lacks the political legitimacy to speak on behalf of all Palestinians. Hamas and Abbas-led Fatah have been locked in a bitter struggle since the former seized control over the Gaza Strip in June, leaving only the West Bank under Fatah control.

Abbas on Saturday told reporters that he is open to holding talks with Hamas.

"We have had talks with Hamas for the past four or five years, he said. We don't mind having talks because they are part of the Palestinian people and we will not give up this part of the people and we will not ignore them."

"We consider it [Hamas] an important movement," he continued. "When it ends its coup, we will be ready to talk."

Qureia, who traveled with Abbas on Saturday, told reporters in Saudi Arabia that negotiations with Israel will include the Gaza Strip, even though it is under Hamas rule.

In Jordan, Abbas said that he didn't receive any guarantees from the American administration regarding the upcoming negotiations with Israel.

"All I can say is that we felt seriousness from President [George W.] Bush and Secretary [of State Condoleezza] Rice and the whole American administration toward resolving the Palestinian problem," he said. "But we can't claim that we have any guarantees on the negotiations and their outcome."

"We're depending on the righteousness of our cause and on the international community, including the United States, which is sympathetic toward the Palestinian issue," added Abbas during a brief stopover at an Amman air base.

Qureia, speaking separately with reporters at the Amman air base, said the Palestinians were determined to achieve statehood by the end of next year.

Prisoner release moved to Monday

The release of 429 Palestinian prisoners inside Israel as a gesture to Abbas has been postponed from Sunday to Monday, following a Palestinian Authority request.

The Prison Service has been preparing for the release for several days, and the prisoners have been concentrated in the Ketziot Prison in the south. Most of them will be released at the Bitunya checkpoint in the West Bank, while the Gaza residents among them will be freed at the Erez crossing in the Gaza Strip.


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  • Olmert to Haaretz: Two-state solution, or Israel is done for
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      1.   The Arabs must make very painful concessions for real peace! 17:41  |  Uzi 01/12/07
      2.   There can never be separate Arab polity west of the Jordan! 17:42  |  Uzi 01/12/07
      3.   ISRAEL`S NEXT CHESS MOVE WILL WIN THE GAME!!!!! 17:50  |  David P 01/12/07
      4.   To Hell with Abbas, he has no power anyway. 19:35  |  The Equalizer 01/12/07
      5.   3David PO,quite wrong,israel is going nowhere with this game! 19:39  |  lakshmi 01/12/07
      6.   Self Destruction? Why? 19:41  |  Fred McCann 01/12/07
      7.   Is this the end of the process? 19:46  |  Dan Chazan 01/12/07
      8.   The Palestinian Speaks From Both Sides of His Mouth 19:55  |  Laguna Geno 01/12/07
      9.   Read Abbas`s lips 19:56  |  Daniel 01/12/07
      10.   Worry about your own house Abbas 19:56  |  B`Galil 01/12/07
      11.   Abbas is right - statehood 101 20:08  |  Carl 01/12/07
      12.   No need to recognize "Jewish State" 20:10  |  James 01/12/07
      13.   Suggestion: http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/928781.html 20:17  |  Avihu 01/12/07
      14.   NO JEWISH STATE 20:20  |  gaoni 01/12/07
      15.   Nothing to Fear Just Yet - It`s Just Negotiating Tactics 20:21  |  British Leftie 01/12/07
      16.   #7 - what process? 20:21  |  redmike 01/12/07
      17.   What exactly is it that Abbas refuses to accept about a 20:22  |  Virginia 01/12/07
      18.   Not a Jewish State?! 20:23  |  Esther 01/12/07
      19.   SOLUTION: Hamas, Etc. In Gaza And Fatah In The West Bank. 20:26  |  Proud Pal Defender 01/12/07
      20.   Back to Square One. Arabs reject Jewish State (per 1947 UN Res.) 20:27  |  Dr. L. Brnd 01/12/07
      21.   Abbas should not play word games 20:32  |  Naftali Lavie 01/12/07
      22.   Too early for peace 20:33  |  Michael 01/12/07
      23.   #5 lakshmi. Wrong, Hamas next move isn`t imoptant 20:42  |  Axel 01/12/07
      24.   Isreal Is Already A Jewish State 20:42  |  Moshe 01/12/07
      25.   " The uncertain one"! 20:44  |  Stephen 01/12/07
      26.   The Fatah Peace Process 20:52  |  Sandman 01/12/07
      27.   What would he get if he did? 20:52  |  Mark Lincoln 01/12/07
      28.   the 1 responsible for munich massacre refuses to recognize israel 20:53  |  yahn goodey 01/12/07
      29.   Re: Avihu @ 13. I have read your post and the article you 20:58  |  Doron Tzafrir 01/12/07
      30.   Abbas refuses to recognize Jewish state 21:02  |  Brod 01/12/07
      31.   refusal 21:07  |  geroge 01/12/07
      32.   right on, Moshe #24 21:15  |  Don 01/12/07
      33.   Annapolis was a mistake, obviously-Abbas refuses to accept Israel 21:21  |  Susanna 01/12/07
      34.   #24 - the reason is this... 21:22  |  Steve 01/12/07
      35.   uzi 21:24  |  michael 01/12/07
      36.   Good AbASS!! Stick to you principles. 21:25  |  SLAVO 01/12/07
      37.   Equitable & practical Partition Plan that may work for a change: 21:26  |  Uzi 01/12/07
      38.   #19 - That`s a solution to what? 21:27  |  Steve 01/12/07
      39.   After Abbas refusal to recognize Israel, 21:30  |  KUTW 01/12/07
      40.   Did Mandela accept White South Africa? 21:31  |  Bob 01/12/07
      41.   British Leftie 21:34  |  rich 01/12/07
      42.   thank you for confirming pal is a racist aparthide state!! 21:35  |  ralph 01/12/07
      43.   ABBAS AND ISRAEL 21:40  |  Stephen 01/12/07
      44.   Arab Supremacists Strike Again 21:40  |  Awake 01/12/07
      45.   What will he get if he doesn`t? 21:41  |  peter 01/12/07
      46.   BOB 21:44  |  gaoni 01/12/07
      47.   Abbas does not represent all the Pals either 21:45  |  Alain 01/12/07
      48.   Jewish state or state of all its citizens? 21:46  |  JJ 01/12/07
      49.   another lost opportunity? 21:49  |  diego 01/12/07
      50.   That`s right Moshe. If only more people understood the 21:55  |  Virginia 01/12/07
      51.   They are Iraelis not Jewish or maybe 21:56  |  ottomatik 01/12/07
      52.   #Carl-the U.S. is a Costitutional democracy-Seperating Church and 21:56  |  Susanna 01/12/07
      53.   #40 - single out the minority 21:57  |  Steve 01/12/07
      54.   #19 Proud, Here`s how idiotic your 3-state solution is.. 21:57  |  Dr. L. Brnd 01/12/07
      55.   #40 - sorry, first should have been to #39 21:59  |  Steve 01/12/07
      56.   The Pals have Arabs and others -like nomads and degenerates 22:00  |  Sal 01/12/07
      57.   Back to 1947 UN partition plan once again! 22:02  |  MARK 01/12/07
      58.   Re: Mandela 22:03  |  Mr. Marty 01/12/07
      59.   Uzi #1 22:06  |  Maki 01/12/07
      60.   RE #11 22:10  |  David ben Avraham 01/12/07
      61.   To Bob 22:13  |  Eli 01/12/07
      62.   Why should Israel recognize a pal state? 22:15  |  KUTW 01/12/07
      63.   A Suggestion 22:34  |  Avi Yerushalmi 01/12/07
      64.   Most Jews live out of Israel 22:48  |  Armand 01/12/07
      65.   #59Maki-the Pals have always been and are puppets and not people 22:48  |  Susanna 01/12/07
      66.   Oh Abbas ... 22:52  |  Analyst 01/12/07
      67.   Proud Pal Defender - just a side note 22:53  |  redmike 01/12/07
      68.   Israel Should Use Iran As a Negotiating Model 23:11  |  Yoram 01/12/07
      69.   Abbas continued refusal wants peace????? 23:12  |  Hilda 01/12/07
      70.   Refuse.. 23:22  |  Pepe 01/12/07
      71.   Hyocrites 23:26  |  EgyptJewRefugee 01/12/07
      72.   abbas and the opportunity lost again 23:56  |  victor hardman 01/12/07
      73.   Call it Jewish "homeland" not state 23:57  |  Gil 01/12/07
      74.   #61, Eli: Not logic, basic values 00:00  |  Bob 02/12/07
      75.   #64 Dear Armand - As an American Jew who moved to Israel... 00:06  |  B`Galil 02/12/07
      76.   Abbas reiterates refusal to recognize Jewish state 00:06  |  Mark Jeffery Koch 02/12/07
      77.   "palestine"? 00:07  |  blind @ blind 02/12/07
      78.   #64 Armand on Most Jews live outside Israel 00:10  |  Bob 02/12/07
      79.   Abbas: ""Historically, there are two states - Israel and .. 00:15  |  martin 02/12/07
      80.   back to square 1 00:20  |  steve dill 02/12/07
      81.   Armand 00:22  |  rich 02/12/07
      82.   Abbass 00:31  |  The Teacher/Instruct 02/12/07
      83.   Abbas refused to recognize the Jewish state 00:32  |  Gina 02/12/07
      84.   Recognizing a state without internationaly recognized borders?! 00:36  |  Tom 02/12/07
      85.   Does Abbas want a Palestinian state or not? 00:43  |  Briton 02/12/07
      86.   Again, it`s International Law 00:48  |  brad 02/12/07
      87.   #16 Are you an expert on interpreting the Koran? 01:03  |  Dan Chazan 02/12/07
      88.   they will never recognize us 01:03  |  rikdil 02/12/07
      89.   Ahmadino, el shrimpo..... 01:09  |  Pepe 02/12/07
      90.   I`m sorry Mr. Abbas.... 01:17  |  R 02/12/07
      91.   to british lefty 01:32  |  citizen zero 02/12/07
      92.   What`s the point of two states? 01:41  |  Sam 02/12/07
      93.   Cannot Trust Arabs 01:56  |  Dennis 02/12/07
      94.   Israel or Zion , the State of the Jews with Jewish Identity 01:56  |  Joseph E . 02/12/07
      95.   Abbas can only shave his mustache, at least he would look...... 02:07  |  IL supporter 02/12/07
      96.   2 States Solution , The State of the Jews as defined in 1922 02:16  |  Joseph E . 02/12/07
      97.   Mahmoud Abbas: Holocaust denier 02:18  |  Robbins 02/12/07
      98.   SAUDI CONSTITUTION 02:24  |  CONCERNED CITIZEN 02/12/07
      99.   Palestine is but a symptom of the Jews-Arabs conflict 02:25  |  Joseph E . 02/12/07
      100.   The Teacher/Instruct # 82 02:54  |  Philippe 02/12/07
      101.   Jewish state 02:56  |  Ben Azai 02/12/07
      102.   Rich # 81 03:01  |  Philippe 02/12/07
      103.   brad # 86 What "Right"? 03:06  |  Jeff Northridge 02/12/07
      104.   So what? 03:17  |  Janice 02/12/07
      105.   PALISTINIANS ARE OBVIOUSLY INSANE. ANYONE WHO DOESN`T ADMIT THIS 03:21  |  Steve Randolph 02/12/07
      106.   Abbas, when "historically" was there a Palestinian state? 03:22  |  McQueen 02/12/07
      107.   So What? 03:23  |  Janice 02/12/07
      108.   Abbas, when "historically" was there a Palestinian state? 03:23  |  McQueen 02/12/07
      109.   HERE IS THE STATEMENT ISRAEL NEEDS TO MAKE. READ THIS 03:23  |  Steve Randolph 02/12/07
      110.   America is a Christian State: A we must forward this cause 03:26  |  American 02/12/07
      111.   A religious state is a strange idea 03:32  |  Fritz Teich 02/12/07
      112.   PISS, PISS, RAH,RAH,RAH 03:45  |  GABE1 02/12/07
      113.   HEY ABBAS:::::will you agree to democratic-jewish state? 03:52  |  IsraFan 02/12/07
      114.   To `American` no.110. Israel is a homeland, like most countries 03:55  |  Steve Randolph 02/12/07
      115.   Jewish homeland: More than a religious state 04:11  |  non-Jew 02/12/07
      116.   @Patient Abbas 04:15  |  Doc 02/12/07
      117.   A joke 04:25  |  Bemused 02/12/07
      118.   Abbas out of his mind 04:26  |  Janet 02/12/07
      119.   America is a Christian state 04:30  |  wibism 02/12/07
      120.   Israel exists 04:33  |  wibism 02/12/07
      121.   Uzi is a smart guy 04:39  |  Someone gets it 02/12/07
      122.   #64 Armand, my sucsessful American 04:48  |  TOMY 02/12/07
      123.   R (Post No. 90) 04:50  |  Johnny Weintraub 02/12/07
      124.   France is a French state, not Algerian, Morrocan or Tahitian... 04:56  |  martin 02/12/07
      125.   Abbas and Palestine 06:20  |  Philippe 02/12/07
      126.   Abbas is a nothing 06:26  |  real vision 02/12/07
      127.   Germany is run (successfully) by Christian Democratic Union, CDU 06:52  |  Analyst 02/12/07
      128.   To martin # 124 - France is a French State.... 07:30  |  Dolly 02/12/07
      129.   Israel`s reason for existance 07:37  |  Sam 02/12/07
      130.   87 - I quoted a world acclaimed expert of Islam - Majid Khadduri 07:38  |  redmike 02/12/07
      131.   It is Obvious ! 07:47  |  Natasha 02/12/07
      132.   A Jewish state 07:51  |  Otto Rand 02/12/07
      133.   seems like abbas has a better sense of "democracy" 07:55  |  eric 02/12/07
      134.   To Janice 08:02  |  Otto Rand 02/12/07
      135.   #20, "Back to square one. Arabs refuse Jewish State" 08:07  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 02/12/07
      136.   #86 brad amuses us with total hypocrisy 08:07  |  victor hardman 02/12/07
      137.   The Land Is Jewish Land Is State of the Jews with Jewish Identity 08:30  |  Joseph E . 02/12/07
      138.   UZI - Do you know why the Arabs can sustain themselves? 08:37  |  mk 02/12/07
      139.   When Abbas talks of a two State solution 08:43  |  Zev 02/12/07
      140.   It is so clear, Abbas`s refusesal to recognize Israel 08:46  |  Dudi 02/12/07
      141.   Admat Hayehudim , Admat Zion , Ard Al Yahud , Ard Al Sayyun 09:06  |  Joseph E . 02/12/07
      142.   Non Sensical 09:12  |  Brad 02/12/07
      143.   Palestinians 09:15  |  Steve 02/12/07
      144.   Israel 09:24  |  Steve 02/12/07
      145.   jewish state 09:32  |  mlchel 02/12/07
      146.   Demographics of Terror 09:35  |  Rod 02/12/07
      147.   No Jewish state in the heart of the Arab World 09:42  |  The Arab Hammer 02/12/07
      148.   #1 Good 09:51  |  Tonto 02/12/07
      149.   Arabs demand Jew-free state yet refuse to recognize Jewish Israel 10:03  |  Gili 02/12/07
      150.   THE AUDACITY: recognizing Jewish supremacy 10:24  |  Sudda 02/12/07
      151.   Already a Jewish State? 10:37  |  Palestinian Brit 02/12/07
      152.   Steve - no Jews in Palestine? 10:44  |  Palestinian Brit 02/12/07
      153.   # 133 Sudda 10:49  |  Joseph E . 02/12/07
      154.   French is a French state etc. 10:51  |  Palestinian Brit 02/12/07
      155.   British neo-socialists, as Abbas, express anti-Jewish racism when 11:02  |  Roger 02/12/07
      156.   #145 Who`s homeland? 11:19  |  Avi Yerushalmi 02/12/07
      157.   To Palestinian Brit - who are you kidding 11:58  |  Ehud 02/12/07
      158.   Abbas reiterates refusal to recognize Israel as........ 13:40  |  Sam Popack 02/12/07
      159.   Note the following article, published here on Tue: 13:57  |  Dalia Shhori 02/12/07
      160.   It is not about "Jewish supremacy" Sudda. Not what USA supports 15:24  |  Virginia 02/12/07
      161.   Abbas Refusal to Recognize Israel 18:11  |  David Latham 02/12/07
      162.   arab `hammer` 147 - flaccid 20:57  |  rocco 02/12/07
      163.   BEWARE! 00:46  |  The Teacher/Instruct 03/12/07
      164.   I am an insanely pro Israel and pro Jewish American 02:23  |  Ashley 03/12/07
      165.   Bob`s rant 02:26  |  Charles 03/12/07
      166.   Arab Hammer # 147, You and other Arabs who think like you do... 03:30  |  Virginia 03/12/07
      167.   # 87, If # 16 were a expert, he would not have used the term 04:23  |  ... 03/12/07
      168.   Well we seem to be in a quandry now don`t we 15:56  |  Drew 03/12/07
      169.   I`m a Sephardic Jew 18:15  |  Janet 03/12/07
      170.   British leftie#15 23:04  |  Observer 03/12/07
      171.   Peace process 02:06  |  Neal 04/12/07
      172.   #87 Dan Chazan 05:32  |  Observer 04/12/07
      173.   jewish state 04:20  |  tom hussey 07/12/07
      174.   NO RECOGNITION, THEN NO NOTHING! 02:32  |  dav zee 12/09/08
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