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U.S. President George Bush and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas (Reuters)
Last update - 22:38 18/05/2008
MK Beilin: Abbas says he'll quit if peace deal not set in 6 months
By Haaretz Service
Tags: peace process, Israel 

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is threatening to resign if a peace settlement with Israel is not reached within the target six months, MK Yossi Beilin said on Sunday following their meeting at the World Economic Forum in Sharm el-Sheikh.

Beilin said Abbas had told him during their talks on the sidelines of the forum that there was "no point" in staying in his position if a deal could not be reached by the end of the year.

While not explicitly denying the comments, a Palestinian Authority spokesman said that Abbas would continue to work toward the goal of a Palestinian state.
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"President Abbas will continue to exert all effort to achieve a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital," spokesman Nabil al-Rudeinah said in a statement.

Beilin's office had said earlier that during the talks in Sharm, Abbas had defined the next six months as critical for the peace process and added that there would be no point for him to proceed in his post if a settlement was not reached.

"I didn't take the presidency upon myself simply for the role, but to fulfil a mission," Beilin's office quoted Abbas as saying. "There is no point in continuing in that capacity if it becomes clear there is no chance of achieving peace."

Abbas also said that regional extremists were coming out victorious under the current situation in which both the Israelis and the Palestinians are reluctant to make a deal, according to Beilin's office.

When asked about Beilin's comments, senior Abbas aide Saeb Erekat that Abbas was determined to reach an agreement with Israel by the end of the year.

"In case of failure to achieve this goal, he will weigh his options then, not now," Erekat said.

Earlier Sunday, Abbas said that the address given by U.S. President George Bush to the Knesset last week had angered the Palestinians.

Abbas said he conveyed his disappointment to Bush when they met at the World Economic Forum on the Mideast, a meeting of 1,500 global policymakers and business leaders in the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Sharm El-Sheik.

"In principle, the Bush speech at the Knesset angered us, and we were not happy with it," Abbas told reporters Sunday on the sidelines of the conference.

"This is our position and we have a lot of remarks (about the speech) and I frankly, clearly and transparently asked him that the American position should be balanced," Abbas said. He had dinner with Bush on Saturday but it was unclear when he confronted the U.S. leader about his comments.

Arab commentators have said the speech, marking the 60th anniversary of Israel's founding showed strong support for Israel while barely mentioning Palestinian aspirations. The speech caused an outcry in Arab media, which called it offensive.

In that speech, Bush showered Israel with praise, strongly reiterated its right to defend itself and only gently urged leaders to make the hard choices necessary, without mention of concrete steps. He did not mention the Palestinians' plight; he spoke of them only in one sentence saying that Israel's 120th anniversary - in 2068 - would see it neighboring an independent Palestinian state.

Abbas told Bush directly about his concerns with the Knesset speech when the two met on Saturday at the Egyptian resort, according to Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat.

"We said that it was disappointing, and a missed opportunity, because you
[Bush] could have said that the Palestinian people should have their freedom and independence in order to achieve peace in the entire area," he said.

On Saturday, in efforts to reassure Palestinians wary of his dedication to their side in the Mideast peace dispute, Bush said he was "absolutely committed" to getting an Israeli-Palestinian accord by the end of the year.

"It breaks my heart to see the vast potential of the Palestinian people, really, wasted," Bush said at the side of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. He spoke of a peace deal after the two leaders met in the president's villa at the Red Sea beach resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh.

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      1.   Abbas threatens to quit (again) 17:20  |  Dr. Dizzle 18/05/08
      2.   Why wait... Pls quit now! 17:35  |  Iman 18/05/08
      3.   Is that a bad thing? 17:37  |  Palestinian Brit 18/05/08
      4.   Who cares 17:38  |  J K 18/05/08
      5.   If Abbas Resigns 17:38  |  Ron 18/05/08
      6.   Peace Deal with the "Palestinians" 17:46  |  Shmulik Prince 18/05/08
      7.   Quit? 17:51  |  Rav Harley 18/05/08
      8.   Thanks Magmoed... 17:53  |  Hans 18/05/08
      9.   who cares? abbas is in his 70`s 17:54  |  matt 18/05/08
      10.   No Peace unless age-old issues are settled 17:59  |  Shimon Cleopas 18/05/08
      11.   Good, They Should Be Angry. But At Whom??? 18:07  |  B`Galil 18/05/08
      12.   Abbas and Siniora will be gone by next year 18:12  |  Harold 18/05/08
      13.   Competing with David Levy for the "Most Threats to Resign" Record 18:14  |  Ovadiah ben Avraham 18/05/08
      14.   Good for Abbas...Now Olmert 18:15  |  MB 18/05/08
      15.   I dont blame him 18:17  |  Danite 18/05/08
      16.   If Bush and Olmert want peace there will be one in 1 month! 18:21  |  Sami 18/05/08
      17.   Abbas---I`ll quit in six months if no peace 18:30  |  Hilda 18/05/08
      18.   ABBAS WHY DONT YOU QUIT NOW YOU LOSER!!!!!!!! 18:31  |  MOE 18/05/08
      19.   bush 18:35  |  word 18/05/08
      20.   Oh Goodie! 18:44  |  Mark Lincoln 18/05/08
      21.   What is stopping peace deal? 18:44  |  Sam 18/05/08
      22.   And after Hamas controls the West Bank as well? 18:46  |  Mark Lincoln 18/05/08
      23.   Anti-American sentiment permeates the Arab Muslim culture. 18:49  |  Jean Van Daem 18/05/08
      24.   "Moderate" Abbas is a hypocrite 18:51  |  KUTW 18/05/08
      25.   Abbas stays or Abbas goes 18:52  |  Linichka 18/05/08
      26.   I`ll halp him pack, and even buy the suitcase! 18:53  |  bye bye abbas! 18/05/08
      27.   I`ll help him pack, and even buy the suitcase! 18:53  |  bye bye abbas! 18/05/08
      28.   He lies as much as Shas. I hope he does it this time. 18:56  |  Adam 18/05/08
      29.   At least this is one beneift to not achieving peace 18:56  |  Natallie Durson 18/05/08
      30.   BUSH IS ISRAEL`S LACKEY AND THEY DON`T WANT PEACE 18:58  |  JH 18/05/08
      31.   Bush is almost prophetic 19:13  |  Freethinker 18/05/08
      32.   Might as well resign now 19:25  |  Janice 18/05/08
      33.   The best idea Abbas ever had 19:26  |  Jonathan S 18/05/08
      34.   Abbas may as well resign now 19:33  |  H 18/05/08
      35.   I praise Bush 19:41  |  KUTW 18/05/08
      36.   Abbas the Irrelevant 19:42  |  George Kaplan 18/05/08
      37.   Abbas justifying terrorism once more 19:46  |  KUTW 18/05/08
      38.   Thanks Magmoed... 19:52  |  Hans 18/05/08
      39.   Promise? 19:54  |  Jeff Northridge 18/05/08
      40.   Peace? 19:55  |  P. J. Casey 18/05/08
      41.   Bush`s chosen remarks backfire as... 19:55  |  lainey 18/05/08
      42.   Just after this traitor gone Hamas will take over 19:58  |  Jaffar 18/05/08
      43.   no.7... van deam..... 19:59  |  ravi 18/05/08
      44.   Until Abbas can disarm Hamas any peace agreement is meaningless 20:00  |  Realist 18/05/08
      45.   #11,12 - bye bye abbas! 20:07  |  Fritz 18/05/08
      46.   #14, Prove It`s Pali Land And That There Is A Pali People 20:08  |  Mordechai 18/05/08
      47.   Everyone thinks they are the genius who would get the best deal 20:09  |  Sam 18/05/08
      48.   Greedy People!!! 20:17  |  Jonathan 18/05/08
      49.   Oh no I`m shaking in my boots 20:19  |  David 18/05/08
      50.   DOES THIS FOOL THINK ANYBODY CARES? 20:21  |  Arik Silverman 18/05/08
      51.   Pal.Admin. Pres. M. Abbas and no peace 20:26  |  Ricardo Kolbe 18/05/08
      52.   ABBAS WANTS A POSITION IN STATE DEPARTMENT 20:39  |  Ian 18/05/08
      53.   Abbas plans to go in 6 months Bush & olmert will be gone in 6 mon 20:39  |  zionist forever 18/05/08
      54.   #10 bye bye abbas 20:39  |  Jim 18/05/08
      55.   Abbas blackmail threat, Mr. Abbas. Don`t wait. Resign NOW. 20:42  |  Ken Jurist 18/05/08
      56.   No peace unless???? 20:56  |  don rosenberg 18/05/08
      57.   Abbas should quit and disband the PA 21:10  |  Joe 18/05/08
      58.   Why Arabs make lousy politicians 21:33  |  Jon 18/05/08
      59.   # 29 JH of Concord...Well, until the Pals 21:45  |  Lynn 18/05/08
      60.   Quit NOW/// 21:53  |  Joe 18/05/08
      61.   Jim # 53 21:59  |  utagawa 18/05/08
      62.   Abbas bringing the Pals and Israelis together 22:08  |  Aphemia 18/05/08
      63.   Arab Media Calls Bush`s Support of Israel Offensive 22:16  |  R 18/05/08
      64.   LET IT BE KNOWN BY ALL THAT 22:22  |  Mr,Knowall 18/05/08
      65.   Abbas denies he`d quit 22:30  |  KUTW 18/05/08
      66.   Dispand the PA 22:35  |  El-Birawi 18/05/08
      67.   Abbas is like a Chameleon..... 22:59  |  Dolly 18/05/08
      68.   Abbas to quit? HAHAHAHAHA 23:16  |  Ron 18/05/08
      69.   Abbas, Beilin, who cares 23:21  |  Frank 18/05/08
      70.   Abbas = Uncle Tom, give your resignation, 01:30  |