Israel Matzav

Abu Bluff adds a new precondition to talks

'Moderate' 'Palestinian' President Mahmoud Abbas Abu Mazen met with US Secretary of State John FN Kerry in Ramallah on Sunday, and added a new precondition for talks with Israel: Abu Mazen is now demanding that Israel turn over part of Area C (if you don't know what that is, see below) to the 'Palestinians' before the talks even begin.

During a meeting in Ramallah with Kerry, Abbas, according to the Bethlehem-based Ma'an news agency, also demanded that Israel promise to refrain from withholding Palestinians' tax revenues in the future, as well as the immediate release of Palestinian prisoners who are on hunger strike in Israeli jails.

Under the terms of the Oslo Accords, Area C of the West Bank is under Israel's exclusive control.

"The issue of the prisoners is now at the top of our list of priorities," a PA official said. "Without the release of a significant number of prisoners, especially those who are on hunger strike and facing death at any moment, there can be no talk about resuming the peace process."

During the meeting, Abbas also repeated his earlier demand that Israel halt construction in all settlements and east Jerusalem and release dozens of Palestinian prisoners imprisoned prior to the signing of the Oslo Accords.

"President Abbas reiterated his refusal to resume peace talks with Israel unless the Israeli government stopped its policy of settlement construction," the official told The Jerusalem Post. "We are also demanding that Israel hand over to the Palestinian Authority parts of Area C in the West Bank."

The State Department said the goal of Kerry's current round of meetings is "to follow up on last month's discussions as we continue to assess how best we can support the parties in getting back to the table and in having dialogue leading to peace."

Asked if Kerry was carrying new ideas for reviving the peace process, another PA official said: "So far we haven't seen anything new. The Americans know that the ball is in the Israeli court. Therefore the pressure should be on the Israeli government, and not the Palestinian leadership."

Sounds like Obama's trip here last month really accomplished a lot. Abu Mazen really seems to have heard President Obama saying 'no preconditions.' What could go wrong?

Labels: Abu Mazen, Barack Hussein Obama, Binyamin Netanyahu, East Jerusalem, John Kerry, Judea and Samaria construction, negotiations without preconditions, Oslo accords, two-state solution

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 11:47 PM