Sunday, January 17, 2010

Abbas to U.S.: Peace talks won't work until Israel given red lines


(Israel Twitter)Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said Sunday that the United States must intervene and draw "red lines" for Israel to ensure that the peace process yields a favorable solution.

In an address to officials from his Fatah movement gathered in Ramallah, Abbas reiterated the Palestinian stance that Israel must freeze all construction in West Bank settlements and said that the U.S. must step in wherever necessary to see that come to fruition.

Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman declared earlier Sunday that Israel would not make any more gestures to the Palestinians, adding that the current government's goodwill has not been met with reciprocity.
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The foreign minister made his comments amid European pressure, days after a senior Palestinian official asked Israel to transfer the bodies of slain terrorists to their families.

Last week, representatives of the so-called Middle East Quartet - the European Union and Russia - proposed asking Israel to reopen the Orient House, the former Palestine Liberation Organization and Palestinian Authority headquarters in East Jerusalem.

They also suggested reopening other Palestinian institutions in the eastern half of the city, in an attempt to convince the Palestinians to return to the negotiating table.

According to Lieberman, Israel must not make any more offers to the Palestinians - particularly regarding East Jerusalem or in West Bank settlements.

"We expect the Palestinians to make gestures to us," he said. "First and foremost, they must stop their incitement against Israel in the international arena."

Source:haaretz.com

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