Abbas warns of talks' failure if Israeli settlements continue

Aug 29, 2010, 21:20 GMT

Ramallah - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas warned on Sunday that the direct peace negotiations due to be launched in Washington on Wednesday would collapse if Israel continues expansion of settlements in the West Bank.

'Israel will be responsible for the failure or the collapse of the talks in case it continues expansion of settlement in the Palestinian territories occupied in 1967,' Abbas said in a televised speech aired by Palestine Satellite Television.

Abbas gave the speech before a scheduled meeting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington Wednesday together with US President Barack Obama. The sides are set to relaunch the first direct talks between Israelis and Palestinians since December 2008.

The meeting will be also be attended by King Abdullah of Jordan, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and representative of the international Quartet for peace in the Middle East Tony Blair.

'The direct negotiations will tackle all the permanent status issues, mainly Jerusalem, refugees, settlement, borders, security, water and the prisoners and it will be based on the Quartet Committee statement,' said Abbas.

He said the Quartet statement called on Israel to halt all Jewish settlement activities, end the occupation of the Palestinian territories occupied by Israel in 1967 and establish a vital independent Palestinian state.

'The peace talks have to turn into a serious action and we should not turn our conflict to end the occupation into just disputes and differences with Israel over the shape or the type of the negotiations,' Abbas said.

He added that the Palestinians accepted direct peace negotiations with Israel following large Palestinian, Arab and international consultations based on the statement of the international Quartet committee.

'I hope that we will find Israel a partner that is able to take decisions and substantial and responsible positions towards ending the occupation and guarantee real security for the two peoples,' said Abbas.

The direct peace talks stopped in December 2008 following a series of Israeli military offensives on the Gaza Strip and Israeli decisions to build and expand settlements in the West Bank and east Jerusalem.

The Israeli government approved in November a 10-month moratorium on its settlement activity that is due to end on September 26. The Palestinian government has warned in recent weeks that the approval of new building plans after this period would bring the peace talks to an end.