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Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. (PMO)
Last update - 23:11 26/05/2008
Palestinians reject Israeli offer to hand over 91.5% of W. Bank
By The Associated Press
Tags: Ehud Olmert 

Palestinian officials close to peace talks said Sunday that Israel has offered a West Bank withdrawal map that leaves about 8.5 percent of the territory in Israeli hands, less than a previous plan but still more than the Palestinians are ready to accept.

Also Sunday, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas was quoted as telling backers that the negotiations have achieved no progress since they were restarted last November with a pledge to U.S. President George W. Bush to try for a full peace treaty by the end of the year.

The Palestinian officials said Israel presented its new map three days ago in a negotiating session. The last map Israel offered had 12 percent of the West Bank remaining in Israel. Israel wants to keep West Bank land with its main settlement blocs, offering land inside Israel in exchange. The land would be between Hebron in the southern West Bank and Gaza - at least part of a route through Israel to link the two territories.
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The officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because the negotiations are being conducted behind closed doors, said Palestinians were ready to trade only 1.8 percent of the West Bank for Israeli land.

Israeli officials refused to comment.

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has said that progress has been made in several areas, but he refused to give details out of concern for harming the negotiations.

The differences in evaluations have a wide range of possible explanations.

Abbas needs to show quick concrete results from the talks to persuade his skeptical people that the negotiations are worthwhile - but he complained that while the talks drag on, Israel continues construction in its West Bank settlements and maintains its network of security roadblocks and checkpoints that have choked off economic and social life there.

On the Israeli side, Olmert needs success to shore up his sagging domestic popularity, stung by his inconclusive war in Lebanon in 2006 and harmed further by a string of corruption cases. He was interrogated in the latest one on Friday. Olmert insists that at least a declaration of principles is attainable by the target date.

One of the Palestinian officials said the 8.5 percent figure of West Bank land Israel would retain with its new map does not include east Jerusalem, where Israel has built a string of Jewish neighborhoods it intends to keep. Israel wants to put off dealing with Jerusalem, possibly the touchiest issue on the table, until the end of the process. Israel's previous proposal to keep 12 percent did not include east Jerusalem, either.

Abbas indicated skepticism about the prospects of the renewed talks.

Nothing has been achieved in the negotiations with Israel yet, Abbas told a meeting of the Fatah Revolutionary Council, according to a report Sunday in the Fatah-associated al-Ayyam daily and confirmed by meeting participants.

"Domestic issues in both Israel and the U.S. are diverting attention from peacemaking," Abbas told Fatah leaders.

"I fear the (corruption) probe against Olmert and the American preoccupation with the (presidential) elections will negatively affect the negotiations," Abbas said, according to a member of the council, Salah Taameri.

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  • MK Beilin: Abbas says he'll quit if peace deal not set in 6 months
  • U.S. officials: Bush will wait to present final-status guidelines
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      1.   GIVE IT ALL BACK... 20:28  |  ravi 25/05/08
      2.   counter by saying we keep more 20:55  |  vik 25/05/08
      3.   fools 21:10  |  ka 25/05/08
      4.   "Negotiations" 21:13  |  17 25/05/08
      5.   why should they accept? 21:14  |  Ivan 25/05/08
      6.   not an inch 01:04  |  alan 26/05/08
      7.   Compromise? 02:36  |  Tom 26/05/08
      8.   Offer them 7.5% and see if they agree 02:40  |  Darth Zaider (Ed) 26/05/08
      9.   Stop Negotiating 02:40  |  Zack 26/05/08
      10.   % does not matter 02:41  |  gordon 26/05/08
      11.   PROGRESS 02:52  |  Mark of Lewiston 26/05/08
      12.   ALL OR WAR? it`s israels choice 03:34  |  VIPER 26/05/08
      13.   Can Israel reciprocate with an equally large area? 03:57  |  Fortuna Benmayor 26/05/08
      14.   Details ? 03:59  |  Truth 26/05/08
      15.   Take 8.5-12% off table, make 20% final offer. NO "safe passage"! 04:07  |  Dr. L. Brnd 26/05/08
      16.   stop the posturing 04:29  |  jake 26/05/08
      17.   Have sympathy for the Pals: Imagine negotiating with JEWS! 04:46  |  Funny 26/05/08
      18.   Israel 04:48  |  The Gentile 26/05/08
      19.   1967 line was never meant to be a border 04:59  |  Free Gilad Shalit 26/05/08
      20.   Hamas could see the writing on the (apartheid) wall. 05:27  |  Maureen Ann 26/05/08
      21.   The pals should either get 100% of w bank or else ally with iran 06:03  |  Aounist 26/05/08
      22.   Israel should say give 40% land or we raid Gaza! 06:07  |  Magnify 26/05/08
      23.   Negotiations? 06:25  |  Gershon Reed 26/05/08
      24.   the gentle 06:36  |  northern neighbor 26/05/08
      25.   #3 ka They want it all??? 06:42  |  Jim 26/05/08
      26.   #6 Fortuna Benmayor 06:54  |  Jim 26/05/08
      27.   #7 Truth 07:08  |  Jim 26/05/08
      28.   #8 Dr. L. Brnd 07:37  |  Jim 26/05/08
      29.   #10 Funny 07:43  |  Jim 26/05/08
      30.   #11 The Gentile 07:52  |  Jim 26/05/08
      31.   occupation 07:57  |  E 26/05/08
      32.   Palestinians shouldn`t feel any urge to accept Israel`s offer 08:26  |  Dutch 26/05/08
      33.   PROGRESS 08:58  |  Mark of Lewiston 26/05/08
      34.   NOTHING BELONGS TO THE ARABS 10:07  |  Yishai Kohen 26/05/08
      35.   #8 Dr. L. Brnd - yet another "oracle" from the USA. 10:20  |  PADDY 26/05/08
      36.   #12 Free Gilad Shalit - Free Palestinian kids from Israeli prison 10:30  |  PADDY 26/05/08
      37.   Judea and Samaria belong to the Jews 10:31  |  Leah 26/05/08
      38.   the only acceptable offer is one that leaves Israel vulnerable... 10:32  |  registered nurse 26/05/08
      39.   50-50 is the only fair solution 10:35  |  Dr Eric 26/05/08
      40.   Abraham bought the land for the Jews 10:37  |  lisa 26/05/08
      41.   the arabs and cloud cuckoo land demnands prevail 10:52  |  victor hardman 26/05/08
      42.   #32 doris the law professor cadigan and total crap again 10:57  |  victor hardman 26/05/08
      43.   All or nothing 11:07  |  JR 26/05/08
      44.   By giving more land to the Arabs 11:10  |  Michael 26/05/08
      45.   To "Ivan" #5..are you sure you live in Haifa? 11:18  |  spade 26/05/08
      46.   the palestinians are never fair. They want want and want. 11:28  |  J 26/05/08
      47.   Hand over 100% and rent back 12% for 100 years 11:38  |  Trond Sorvoja 26/05/08
      48.   Jim from Murfreesboro, Tn, USA 11:50  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 26/05/08
      49.   No Negotiations with Palestinian TERROR 11:51  |  James 26/05/08
      50.   Palestinians reject Israeli offer to hand over 91.5% of W. Bank 11:51  |  Chris 26/05/08
      51.   Official Partition Plans 12:14  |  Joseph 26/05/08
      52.   They steal and want to negotiate back what they stole 12:20  |  El-Birawi 26/05/08
      53.   #51, Joseph, Read the British white paper 1922 12:24  |  A Bethlehemite 26/05/08
      54.   That`s right Lisa, Arab`s need to come to acceptance!!! 12:59  |  But why should they? 26/05/08
      55.   No military capable of occupying whole Gaza 13:39  |  The Archives 26/05/08
      56.   Paddy, strange thing about DNA 13:55  |  jackie 26/05/08
      57.   How Much Will It take To Secure Peace? 14:03  |  Moshe 26/05/08
      58.   Alan - and the home of the Jews is.... 14:18  |  Palestinian Brit 26/05/08
      59.   abraham brought the land for the jews / Amen 14:29  |  eve 26/05/08
      60.   what is wrong with Israel?? 14:45  |  Barb 26/05/08
      61.   It is not up to Israel to grant statehood to Palestine 15:00  |  Natallie Durson 26/05/08
      62.   #60 what is wrong with Israel?? 15:01  |  Gerald Zang 26/05/08
      63.   what is wrong with israel? = Israel ofcourse! 15:05  |  EVE 26/05/08
      64.   not an inch 15:17  |  Moshe 26/05/08
      65.   It is not up to Israel/ nataliie 15:17  |  eve 26/05/08
      66.   Palestinian Brit: Your Home? Uranus. 15:29  |  Tex 26/05/08
      67.   "Palestinians" Rejecting Peace Again 15:33  |  Tex 26/05/08
      68.   Aounist: Just Get Rid of Israel 15:34  |  Tex 26/05/08
      69.   From Time Immemorial = HOAX 15:45  |  eve 26/05/08
      70.   #13 A 1:1 swap, Fortuna? 15:49  |  Jo