Abbas to tell Obama: No peace talks until Israel backs two states

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said Sunday he will tell U.S. President Barack Obama at an upcoming meeting that Middle East peace talks hinge on Israel's support for a two-state solution.

"Our conditions and vision are part of the two-state solution, which also involves halting settlement building and the policy of house demolitions. Our demands are also shared by the Americans as a pre-requisite for resuming dialogue with the Israelis," Abbas told reporters after a meeting with Jordan's King Abdullah II.

He also announced the date that had been set for the meeting.

"We plan to visit Cairo and other Arab countries before our May 28 visit to Washington, where we are going to have talks with the U.S. administration on all political issues and set forth conditions for future negotiations," Abbas said.

The Palestinian leader said his talks with King Abdullah focused on the outcome of the monarch's talks with Obama at the White House on April 21.

The talks between the king and Obama sought to convince the U.S. administration to play "a leading role in re-launching serious negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians on the basis of the two-state solution and within a regional perspective," a royal court statement said.

King Abdullah and Abbas underscored the importance of "coordinating the Arab stance with a view to carrying out an effective move to ensure tangible progress is made towards the establishment of an independent Palestinian state," the statement added.

"The two Arab leaders demanded a halt for all settlement activity in the occupied Palestinian territories, particularly Jerusalem, and rejected all Israeli steps that seek to change the nature of the holy city through encroachment on its holy places and emptying the city of its population either by deportation or demolition of houses," the statement said.

They also urged the world community "to shoulder its responsibilities" in lifting the siege imposed on the Gaza Strip and ensure the entry of humanitarian aid as well as starting reconstruction of the territory which was the scene for a destructive Israeli attack in January.

These comments came as Israel's Deputy Foreign Minister Daniel Ayalon told Bloomberg on Sunday that a comprehensive peace agreement with the Palestinians entails a two-state solution.

King Abdullah, who held similar talks with King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia earlier this week, intends also to meet with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak shortly to brief him on the outcome of his talks with Obama, who strongly supported the two-state vision and the Arab peace initiative, officials said.