Israel Matzav

Abu Bluff admits 'proximity talks' going nowhere

'Moderate' 'Palestinian' President Mahmoud Abbas Abu Mazen has admitted that the 'proximity talks' between Israel and US Special Middle East envoy George Mitchell are going nowhere.

PA President Mahmoud Abbas, who is currently in Jordan, told a group of Jordanian journalists that, contrary to reports in the media, no progress has been achieved during the indirect negotiations.

Abbas confirmed that he had presented the US administration with ideas in writing about all the core issues.

Earlier this week, a London-based Arabic-language Saudi newspaper revealed that Abbas submitted written proposals to US envoy George Mitchell regarding the core issues, including the future borders of a Palestinian state and the status of Jerusalem.

According to the report, Abbas’s ideas did not rule out a land swap that would allow Israel to retain control over settlement blocs in the West Bank. The ideas also envision an Israeli withdrawal from east Jerusalem, including the Old City, with the exception of the Western Wall and the Jewish Quarter, which would remain under Israeli control.

In his meeting with the Jordanian journalists in Amman, Abbas did not give any details about the written ideas he submitted to the Americans. However, he voiced pessimism regarding the prospects of a breakthrough in the proximity talks.

Abbas said that the Palestinians would wait only until September, when the proximity talks are due to end. If there is no progress, as is the case until now, the Palestinians would ask the Arab League countries to re-endorse and market the Arab Peace Initiative of 2002 as the only plan for solving the Israeli-Arab conflict, Abbas added.

Prime Minister Netanyahu has called for direct negotiations with the 'Palestinians.' President Obama has not gone that far, but has said that the 'proximity talks' should lead to direct negotiations. The good news is that if there are to be no direct negotiations, there is no reason to renew the 'settlement freeze,' is there?

Heh.

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 8:15 PM