RAMALLAH, Nov. 8 (Xinhua) -- The Palestinians will never accept any solution that excludes East Jerusalem from being the capital of the upcoming Palestinian statehood, a senior peace negotiator said Sunday.

    "The Palestinians don't need an authority or presidency that keeps Jerusalem out of the political solutions," said chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat.

    "A Palestinian statehood without East Jerusalem is meaningless," he added.

    Erekat made these remarks at a seminar explaining Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' decision not to run in any upcoming presidential elections.

    Abbas made his decision on Thursday, saying that the Israeli government, led by hawkish premier Benjamin Netanyahu, was not interested in resuming the peace talks and continued unilateral measures in violation of agreements.

    According to Erekat, the continuation of the Jewish settlement in the West Bank and East Jerusalem "was one of the reasons that encouraged Abbas to resist pressure and announcing his intention not to run in elections."

    The United States has recently softened its tone on the need to stop the settlement activities on the lands that will be the ground of the Palestinian state.