Abbas: No direct talks without progress on borders and security
Abbas warned before meet with George Mitchell in Ramallah that his people were losing faith in a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
By DPAPalestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said Thursday he would not start direct peace talks with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, unless progress was made in U.S.-mediated contacts on the issues of borders and security.
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Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas with U.S. Middle East envoy George Mitchell before their meeting in the West Bank city of Ramallah on July 1, 2010. |
| Photo by: Reuters |
Abbas held a two-hour meeting with Washington's special envoy to the Middle East George Mitchell in Ramallah, in a new round of indirect Palestinian-Israeli talks.
The four-month time frame allocated to the indirect talks by the Arab League is due to enter into half time next week.
Abbas warned in a string of interviews with Israeli media published Thursday that his people were losing faith in a two-state solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict.
Hosting six Israeli correspondents for dinner late Wednesday to appeal to the Israeli public and leadership, he said that progress in peace negotiations with the government of the nationalist Netanyahu was moving too slowly.
"I too have a fragile coalition and a million more internal problems than Netanyahu," he said.
"We want to live in peace. Don't kill the hope," he added.
Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat told reporters after the Abbas-Mitchell meeting that the two discussed the borders of the future Palestinian state and the security arrangements between it and Israel.
Abbas said in the interviews with the Israeli press he was willing to accept a third party presence in the future state, such as one led by the North Atlantic Treaty Alliance (NATO) or the United Nations, but "not a single Israeli" soldier.
That had already been agreed on in principle with the previous Israeli government of former premier Ehud Olmert, he said.
Olmert had also agreed in principle to a one-on-one land swap and that the Palestinian state would include the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem.
But, he charged, the Netanyahu government had thus far failed to submit its own answers to the Palestinian demands on these issues.
"We hope that all this effort will lead to an agreement on marking out the borders based on the 1967 lines," said Erekat.
Erekat said Abbas discussed with Mitchell other issues that had to do with demolition of homes in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Silwan, the deportation of Hamas lawmakers from their East Jerusalem residences, and Israeli settlement activities in East Jerusalem and the rest of the West Bank.
"We want to be clear and that is we cannot talk about a meaningful peace process and move to direct negotiations without progress in the issue of borders and a halt to Israeli measures," said Erekat.
Abbas said in interviews that "as soon as there is progress, we'll shift to direct talks, but up until now we haven't received even a single sign that might indicate progress on those issues."
Netanyahu, for his part, called on Abbas to restart direct talks regardless.
"We are now in the midst of proximity talks which we discussed from the start as a corridor to direct talks. I think the time has come for direct talks," he said, meeting Mitchell in Jerusalem on Wednesday.
"And I call on President Abbas to come to Jerusalem. I'm prepared to go to Ramallah. I think that this is the only way that we'll solve the intricate problems that we're discussing," he said, adding direct talks were also the "best way" to persuade the Israeli public of Palestinian peace intentions.
He said his demand for direct talks would be the focus of his scheduled meeting with U.S. President Obama at the White House next week.
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A true one-state solution does not have any part of Israel for the muslims. Israel is for the jews only. The name 'palestine' was given to the region by the Romans when they translated 'phillistine' inot Latin. Muslims, arabs and others besides the Jews have the right to get a visa or leave. I do not agree with "Rose" in her assertions as put forth in talkback to number 1. elp
Sorry but the international community will not go along with your greater " Yisrael" so if I were you I drop it. Not going to happen and the faster you realize it the better for you.
The mighty UN. The UN was silent while 58 Jerusalem synagogues were destroyed by the Jordanians. 19. The UN was silent while the Jordanians systematically desecrated the ancient Jewish cemetery on the Mount of Olives. 20. The UN was silent while the Jordanians enforced an apartheid-like policy of preventing Jews from visiting the Temple Mount and the Western Wall.
Yeh.... I dont think many countries have any faith in the UN .
As the Holy Bible says: They [the palestinians] will be a thorn in the side [of the Jewish nation] if they are permitted to remain in the Holy Land
A philosophe who will surely set the world right.
"Israel believes that the core issues to the conflict can only be resolved in the framework of direct negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians. Having said that, we have agreed that in the framework of the proximity talks there can be preliminary discussions on the core issues." - Anonymous Israseli official (Boston Globe, 2 May 2010) This is the basic Israeli position, so Mitchell should not be surprised. Of course, Israel prevents the start of DIRECT talks by the continued construction in East Jerusalem and even the West Bank, and by not making any real progress on the core issues. If Obama wants talks to move ahead, he should apply some real pressure on Netanyahu when they meet in a few days.
You and every other israeli basher here only wants pressure put onto Israel. Never have I read from you anything about putting pressure on Abbas or Hamas. Supporters of Israel have many times criticized the government for wrongdoings...you have read them on this site. In life there is give and take. It needs to be a 2 -way street...including pressure on the Palestinian leadership as well. Do you agree ? ..... or as far as you are concerned Israel is the only culprit in the mix.
It's the Palestinian refusal to engage in them which prevents them from starting, dopey.
There's no "pressure" on Hamas because Hamas is on the sidelines of Israeli/PA negotiations. There is no "pressure" on Abbas (aside from the pressure that brought him to proximity talks) because the current Israeli government rejects a construction freeze in Jerusalem, and Abbas and much of the rest of the world agree that if Israel does not intend to stop expansion in East Jerusalem, what is the point of negotiations. Israel is effectively saying that East Jerusalem is off the table, but let's talk directly, and Abbas is saying no way. Since most of the world thinks East Jerusalem should be on the table for negotiations, Israel is regarded as the culprit for the present impasse with the PA, and rightly so. 200,000 or so Palastinains live in or about E. Jerusalem, and their incorporation into Israel in lieu of E. Jersaslem being a capital for a Palastinian state strikes most as far fetched and self serving biblical claims make it even less compelling. By just responding that critics of this policy are Israel bashers, you denigrate Israel's loyal friends, isolate yourself into your own little spider hole, and worst of all, give no reasoned response to this critcism.
So good, that it is better to be out and get your brain roasted in the sun. But before you lose the little that is left, I will clarify something. Why does Abbas insist that Israel first stop construction in the West Bank and jerusalem? because the present negotiations are viewed by Obama as part of the Roadmap, and Israel OBLIGATED itself (under Sharon) to stop that construction in phase 1 (ONE) of the Roadmap. The Palestinians have done what was required of them in phase 1, and Israel didn't. Now, what is the point in talks about additional arrangements if one side does not fulfill the already agreed upon arrangement? Get that, or perhaps you should use a hat next time. To Arnold I will add that it will be easy for you to figure out the pressure the Palestinians are under, even by the US, but mostly by Israel. But to figure it out you will need to try first.
First of all, San Diego is known for having a mild climate. Then again, where you have your head, I doubt you get any sun at all. Secondly, Israel performed more on the road map than the Palestinians did. They DID NOT fulfill their obligations under phase one. Israel leapfrogged the Palestinians in terms of what it was doing under the auspices of the road map. Lastly, none of this takes away from the fact that it's Abbas who chooses not to engage in direct talks, oaf. No one is pressuring the Palestinians into attacking the Jews. They create their own pressure by resorting to terrorism. Now, if only you'd remove that sphincter you wear as a hat.
Enough with the Road Map and what other prior govt of Israel had agreed to deal wise. The road map was based on the Pals not committing terror and for allowing Israel to exist. The Pals did not keep their end of the deal... and now without mentioning that 1000s of rockets have been launched they want to wipe the slate clean of their actions and pick out all of the good parts of every possible peace agreement and pull those parts into a great plan for themselves. Meanwhile the main ONE thing that has been asked that the Pals and Hamas simply recognize that Israel has a right to exist is not granted. Israel and Bibi know that the Pals want all of Israel. Hamas is clear that they wont rest and stop "fighting for freedom" until every inch of land is pals. Since you mentioned Sharon.. Sharon left Gaza and turned it back to the Pals and in return somehow got a launching pad for rockets. If the Pals every actually chose peace they would have it.
Well, here it is. Israel is for the Jews. From the Golan Heights to Eilat, from Wadi al Arish to the Jordan mountains and from the Mediteranean to the Great River. If you arabs want security in these borders, get a visa. Otherwise, get out.
How wonderful it would be to have final secure borders,not be responsible for 'occupying' anyone;for a thirds part to 'police' for us etc. If that were the case wew could stop living a seige existence.More people would come to live,or for holidays.No-one would be afraid.The Jews in the diaspora coulds rest easy and not have to spend their lives explaining and excusing some of the intransigence from our side(as would the pals on their side)
The One State Solution is fine with you,. And a a democratic One State, all citizens get full voting rights. And if Jews have Right of Return, so do all Palestinian refugees. Thank you.
I guess so, because there can never be peace with all these preconditions.. It's almost laughable!