Israel Matzav

Abu Mazen agrees to extend 'peace talks'... 'under conditions'....

'Moderate' 'Palestinian' President Mahmoud Abbas Abu Mazen has agreed to extend the current 'peace talks'... under 'conditions' that are unlikely to happen.

The official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told Ma'an that during a recent meeting with US President Barack Obama Abbas agreed to extend peace negotiations if Israel pledged to freeze settlement construction and release more prisoners.

A good test to see if Israel is serious about making concessions, the official said, will be whether it releases the last of the four groups of prisoners it agreed to free before talks began in July.

So far, 78 of 104 Palestinian veteran prisoners have been freed in three groups, with the final 26 to be released on March 29. However, recent statements by Israeli officials have cast doubt on whether the prisoners would be released on time, if at all.

The official said that if Israel delayed the release of the last group of pre-Oslo prisoners, the Palestinian Authority would immediately take the case to international organizations.

I wouldn't hold my breath for more terrorists to be released just to keep these talks going.  Note that I did not say that there won't be a 'settlement freeze.' This government is too weak to say no to that one.

Labels: Abu Mazen, Barack Hussein Obama, Palestinian terrorists

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 6:31 PM