Abbas: We Won’t Attend Peace Talks “At Any Price.”
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas told visiting US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Wednesday that the Palestinians won’t go to the Annapolis conference “at any price.”
His comments came as senior PA officials said it was almost certain that the conference would be postponed because of the failure of Israeli and Palestinian negotiators to achieve progress on any of the fundamental issues, such as Jerusalem, the borders and refugees.
One official described Rice’s current shuttle mission as a failure, saying she had failed to persuade Israel to change its “tough” position regarding Palestinian demands.
The Palestinians are demanding a comprehensive agreement with Israel on all the core issues before the conference, as well as an agreement on a fixed timetable for implementing the accord.
“I doubt if we will go the conference,” said a top PA official. “The Americans and Israelis are not serious. We don’t want to make fools out of ourselves.”
“We can’t waste more time,” Abbas told reporters after meeting with Rice. “We can’t go the conference at any price. This is unacceptable.”
Abbas said he had complained to Rice about the lack of time the Israelis and Palestinians had to reach a deal ahead of the planned summit. “We must exploit every second from now and until the conference,” he said. “The most important thing we are trying to reach is a clear and specific document that will help us resume negotiations [with Israel].”
Abbas spokesman Nabil Abu Rudaineh also sounded pessimistic about the conference. “The gap between the two parties remains very wide,” he said. “The president made it clear to Rice that it was difficult to trust Israel and that Israel must halt its policy of assassinations, incursions, settlement construction.”
Abu Rudaineh added that the Palestinian position called for clear agreement on core issues and a timetable for its implementation. “Unfortunately, Israel’s refusal to commit itself to a timetable is hindering progress,” he said. “Israel is not serious about reaching a deal or making the conference succeed.”
Nabil Amr, a top Abbas adviser, also criticized Israel, saying its attitude toward the planned conference remained “negative and ambiguous.”
JP
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“lack of time the Israelis and Palestinians had to reach a deal ahead of the planned summit”
Take all the time you need…next
October 17th, 2007 at 9:29 pm“peace” with these Balestinian assholes is a fiction. with or without a ’state’.
October 17th, 2007 at 10:10 pmbeen true for 40 plus years… be true another 40.
I hate “peace talks”. Waste of time. Nothing good has come out of these “peace talks”. Only more problems.
October 18th, 2007 at 2:18 am“Hey, we’re a bunch of murdering thugs and we don’t deserve to get anything we’re demanding, but if you’re willing to overlook that…”
October 18th, 2007 at 2:24 am“We must exploit every second from now and until the conference,” he said.
For? Homocide bombing, rocket attacks and murder to get us in the news.
October 18th, 2007 at 6:37 amGood, maybe someone needs to notify Condi and GWB. Time to get back to work on something productive….how about some pushback on the Mexican/Military Drug business that is out of control at the BORDER and now in the USA…were’s the wall?
October 18th, 2007 at 8:21 amAbbas: we demand an agreement before the neogitation in Annapolis. OK, isn’t that bass-ackwards? I hate to say it, but Bush is instigating these “peace talks” for his “legacy.” Whatever. There needs to be a sea change in the region before any semblance of peace will occur. It can happen though–look at N. Ireland.
October 18th, 2007 at 9:59 am