|
World Jewish News
Abbas: Talks will be useless if settlement building doesn't stop
17.02.2009
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Monday strongly criticized an Israeli decision to seize more Palestinian land in the West Bank for settlement expansion. He said that "unless settlements are brought to a halt, then talks [with Israel] will be meaningless and useless."
Abbas also stressed that the next Israeli government has to accept the two-state solution and other international agreements on the Middle East conflict as a prelude to resuming negotiations.
"We cannot start from point zero once again," stressed Abbas during a press conference with visiting Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
As reported in Haaretz on Monday, Israel plans to seize 1.7 million square meters of Palestinian land near Bethlehem to expand the settlement of Efrat.
Abbas said a total halt to settlement activities, removing the military checkpoints in the West Bank and a return of the Israeli forces to the pre-September 28, 2000 lines - as stated in the road map peace plan - should precede a resumption of peace talks with Israel.
He expressed hope that the upcoming peace conference, scheduled to be held in Moscow in the first half of this year, "will be an important step to achieve peace in the Middle East."
Abbas also said the internal Palestinian reconciliation dialogue will start in Cairo on Sunday with a goal to "set up a government that will not bring a blockade upon us and hold presidential and legislative elections as soon as possible."
Источник: Haaretz
|
|
