Building freeze seen as key to Israeli intentions
Leaders urged to drop negotiations if work resumes
Ramallah: The Palestinians will be able to fully judge Israeli intentions towards peace in the ongoing direct negotiations only when the colonisation freeze expires.
The Palestinians will monitor whether Israel renews its moratorium or resumes construction in the colonies, so that Palestinians can mould their approach.
Direct negotiations between Palestinians and Israelis should be suspended if the colony construction resumes, a senior Palestinian official said.
According to Mahmoud Al Aloul, a member of the Fatah Central Committee and Fatah Organisational Commissioner in the West Bank, the Palestinian leadership has gone under huge regional and international pressure to resume direct talks with Israel.
The Palestinians were divided on the issue.
Al Aloul was speaking on Saturday during an iftar organised for Fatah members in Ramallah and Al Beerah.
"The Palestinian leadership should suspend the direct negotiations with Israel should Israel fail to freeze all its colony constructions when the current freeze expires," he said.
He explained that the resumption of the direct negotiations with Israel has been a controversial issue on the Palestinian side, where the Palestinians announced that they were not against peace and negotiations but the talks should be matched with clear references that could expose the Israeli aggression and end it.
