Ramallah: The Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas says Israel will be held solely responsible if the direct negotiations between Palestine and Israel, scheduled to kick off in Washington on Thursday, are a failure.
Abbas, on Sunday, addressed the Palestinian nation in a speech. "Israel will be responsible for the failure of the direct negotiations if there is continuation of the colony construction," he said. “We hope to find a partner in Israel, able to take responsible decisions, to end the occupation in the lands occupied since 1967,” he said. “We accept partnership with all the governments elected by the Israelis.”
The president highlighted both the Israeli and Palestinian need for security, but pointed out that such a need can never justify the colonies and confiscation of Palestinian land.
“We have told all the parties involved in direct negotiations about the Palestinian stance in regard to colony construction. Israel will be fully responsible for failure of the negotiations,” he cautioned. “The way to reach peace is very difficult and full of hindrances, but the negotiations should be addressed in a serious way and directly address the final status issues.”
He added that the entire world has made it clear that it agrees with Palestine about ways to resolve these issues.
“The agreement of the Palestinian leadership to participate in the direct negotiations was based on the Quartet’s statement, which clearly went against the settlement construction in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. We had prolonged talks within the Palestinian leadership, the Arabs and international friend states,” he added.
Abbas said the Arab nations have played a key role in negotiations, which it’s hoped, will lead to the establishment of a future independent Palestinian state.
“The final status issues will address security, borders, colony activities, [access to] water, Jerusalem and the Palestinian prisoners in the Israeli jails,” he said. “We will never allow the Israelis to take us to other areas of secondary issues. We consider the negotiations as another battle field of the Palestinian struggle to achieve its independence. The Palestinians have become the longest, the last suffering nation in their quest for freedom and independence. We are going to attend these direct negotiations fully armed, with belief in the legitimacy of our rights.”
