RAMALLAH, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Tuesday said he will not resume peace talks with Israel unless it stops settlement activities in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas speaks to journalists after meeting with Bulgarian Prime Minister Boiko Borisov in the West Bank city of Ramallah, on Jan 12, 2010. (Xinhua Photo) Photo Gallery>>>
"There are no negotiations with
settlement underway. We won't accept
the resumption of the negotiations without the full suspension of the
settlement, especially in Jerusalem," Abbas told reporters in Ramallah.
Abbas added he doesn't mind if the freeze on
settlements building was "for a specific time," stressing that the "reference"
of the negotiations and the peace process must be well-identified "so there will
be no vagueness by the Israelis."
According to Abbas, "an international reference"
would be the best to oversee the process of the negotiations when they are
restarted.
When Israel launched a military operation in Gaza in
December 2008, the negotiations stopped. Abbas refused to resume the talks,
citing the settlements that eat up lands that the Palestinians want for their
future statehood.
Recently, the United States stepped up its efforts to
revive the Middle East peace process, with the Palestinians are frustrated since
Washington could not oblige Israel to halt all settlement
activities.
RAMALLAH, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- Palestinian Prime Minister
Salam Fayyad accused Israel on Tuesday of trying to isolate the Palestinian
National Authority (PNA) through a campaign against President Mahmoud Abbas and
Fayyad's government.
"The Israeli campaign can be explained only as part of a
planned effort that openly aims at isolating us internationally," Fayyad told
reporters in Ramallah. Full story
JERUSALEM, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Middle East envoy
George Mitchell hopes he can persuade international players to back Washington's
latest endeavor to bring Israel and the Palestinians back to the negotiating
table.
Mitchell was in Brussels on Tuesday to meet
representatives of the Middle East Quartet, which comprises Russia, the UN and
the European Union (EU) in addition to the United States. He was also slated to
meet Israeli officials, according to the U.S. State Department. Full story
JERUSALEM, Jan. 10 (Xinhua) -- Israeli Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that his country would resume construction in
West Bank Jewish settlements in eight months, local daily Ha'aretz reported on
its website.
"In another eight months, we will start building again,"
Netanyahu told his coalition members, highlighting that Israel's freeze on
construction in West Bank settlements was only temporary. Full story
JERUSALEM, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- A series of recent comments from Palestinian
President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would
suggest that the parties of the peace talks are heading in the direction of the
negotiating table. The Egyptians are exerting efforts to bring the leaders
together, with what analysts believe is the firm backing of the United States.
Full story
