RAMALLAH - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has vowed to resist US pressure to open direct peace talks with Israel, unless he received less "vague" guarantees on Israeli settlement construction and the borders of a future Palestine state.
Abbas told the 128 delegates of his Fatah party's revolutionary council on Tuesday that he had received a verbal message from US President Barack Obama, who asked him to enter into direct talks, but some clauses in his message were "vague" and "not clear, particularly those which define the occupied territories, the West Bank and Gaza Strip".
His address to the council was closed to journalists and only published by Fatah's al-Hayat al-Jadida newspaper yesterday.
Proposals about a settlement freeze and the borders of the Palestinian state should be very clear, he said.
"If this happens, it will be possible to go to direct negotiations," Abbas said, but added: "We cannot go to direct negotiations as blind and we will resist that peacefully."
Abbas said he had laid out his position to Egyptian and Jordanian leaders, and would make his position clear to the Arab League when it meets next Friday.
"If there was development by then, the situation will change," he said.
Otherwise, he added, he would wait until September, when the current, partial 10-month moratorium on Israeli construction in the occupied West Bank expires - as will the mandate handed to him by the Arab League for holding talks with Israel.
Abbas also told his Fatah delegates that he was working on a cabinet reshuffle which he hoped to complete shortly.
Abbas to resist US pressure for talks with Israel
RAMALLAH - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has vowed to resist US pressure to open direct peace talks with Israel, unless he received less "vague" guarantees on Israeli settlement construction and the borders of a future Palestine state.
Abbas told the 128 delegates of his Fatah party's revolutionary council on Tuesday that he had received a verbal message from US President Barack Obama, who asked him to enter into direct talks, but some clauses in his message were "vague" and "not clear, particularly those which define the occupied territories, the West Bank and Gaza Strip".
His address to the council was closed to journalists and only published by Fatah's al-Hayat al-Jadida newspaper yesterday.
Proposals about a settlement freeze and the borders of the Palestinian state should be very clear, he said.
"If this happens, it will be possible to go to direct negotiations," Abbas said, but added: "We cannot go to direct negotiations as blind and we will resist that peacefully."
Abbas said he had laid out his position to Egyptian and Jordanian leaders, and would make his position clear to the Arab League when it meets next Friday.
"If there was development by then, the situation will change," he said.
Otherwise, he added, he would wait until September, when the current, partial 10-month moratorium on Israeli construction in the occupied West Bank expires - as will the mandate handed to him by the Arab League for holding talks with Israel.
Abbas also told his Fatah delegates that he was working on a cabinet reshuffle which he hoped to complete shortly.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Register (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Trending
Latest Videos