RAMALLAH, Nov. 15 (Xinhuanet) -- Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas accused Israel on Tuesday of attempting to push the Palestinians into a civil war by demanding the disarmament of militants before re-opening peace talks.

    Abbas made the accusation in a speech delivered on the occasion of the 17th anniversary of the Palestinian announcement of independence from exile. 

    Abbas said the Israeli insistence on disarming Palestinian militants was aimed at plunging the Palestinians into internal strife.

    "The Israeli call to dismantle so-called terrorism before anyfuture negotiations is a hypocrisy," he said.

    Abbas also criticized the Israeli government for taking unilateral and temporary strategy in solving the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

    He said Israel was acting as if the Palestinians were "no peacepartner" and that the Jewish state sought to impose unilateral solutions upon the Palestinians.

    The Palestinian leader urged all the Palestinians to unite togo through a rough path toward the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.

    It is one of Abbas' most harsh-worded criticism of Israel sincehis election as Palestinian president in January.

    Israel has repeatedly demanded the Palestinian National Authority headed by Abbas to dismantle militant groups before any further peace moves under the roadmap peace plan.

    Peace talks foundered since the Palestinian Intifada, oruprising, broke out in 2000.

    But Abbas prefers bringing militants into the Palestinianpolitical arena to disarming them, citing fear of civil war.  

    Palestinian militants refuse to lay down arms, although they largely abide by a de facto truce deal with Israel.  Enditem